Fish Tacos
Code 3 Cooking - FireHouse 7 - Chula Vista, California
serves 6, or 4 firefighters

Fish tacos are found on the Baja Coast and have found their way to San Diego. They are popular street fare and are quintessential San Diego.

This recipe was created by me along with my brother Captain William Nigh, a firefighter in San Diego County.

We worked on this for weeks to recreate the authentic San Diego fish taco for a cooking show pilot my brother had dreams of hosting that would feature the special dish that each fire station boasts across the country along with the unique, local non-profit that each fire station supports. It was such a good idea!  

You’re going to love these tacos!

 ^{_{My brother, Captain William Nigh}}

Ingredients:

Batter Fried Fish (note: the fish needs one hour to marinate before cooking)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup milk)
1 egg white
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (save 1/4 cup for salsa)
1 Tbs. Juice from a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce*
1 Tbls. fresh lime juice
2 lbs. skinless sea bass, red snapper, Mahi Mahi, or other thick, flakey white fish
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
Olive or Grapeseed oil (for frying) 

Garnish/To serve
Finely-shredded green cabbage
16 corn tortillas
Lime wedges
Baja Cream & Jicama Fruit Salsa

Directions:

1. Whisk buttermilk (or ½ cup plain yogurt with ½ cup milk), ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, egg white, Chipotle-Adobo Sauce, and lime juice. 

2. Place marinade and fish In a ceramic dish and coat the fish with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3. After marinating, preheat the oven to 300˚F. 

4. Blend the flour and cornmeal in a dish large enough to fit fish. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with a thin layer of oil and until hot but not smoking. 

5. Remove fish from marinade and lightly shake off excess liquid. 

6. Dredge in flour-cornmeal mixture covering both sides, patting fish lightly to adhere coating. 

7. Place the fish away from you into the hot oil and cook until the fish is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook the second side until golden. 

8. Place on a paper towel-lined platter and keep warm in the oven until the remaining fish is done.

• Add more oil if needed and allow it to heat up before adding the next batch of fish.

Notes:

Fire It Up A chipotle pepper is a jalapeño pepper that has ripened and turned red. Chipotle is derived from the Aztec word meaning Smoke. The peppers are placed over pits and smoke is blown from tunnels underground. Adobo is the sauce that these canned chilies come in flavored with vinegar, tomato sauce, and spices.

Firefighter Bill’s Notes How long to cook the fish on each side? Fish, whether fillet or bone-in takes 8 minutes per inch. If you have a fish fillet that is 1/2” thick, sauté it for 4 minutes or 2 minutes on each side. Fish is delicate. Do not flip it back and forth from side to side.