Beer Battered Fish Tacos

I think everyone can pretty much agree that fish tacos are fabulous. Surprisingly, there are a lot of restaurants out there that do. fish. tacos. wrong. I think we can all attest to that! We had some friends in town this weekend so we decided to try out some new spots in Virginia Beach, one of them being Gringo's (known for being the 'best fish taco place at the beach'). It certainly hit the spot and inspired me to try out beer battering some fish for myself. My favorite part about this recipe is that they don't taste fried. They are so light and airy, which compliments the light flaky white cod really well.

I must say, this was a winner. And it was too easy! I don't know why I haven't tried it before - I guess it is just one of those cooking 'things' you hear about, eat and talk about but never really try for yourself.

Side note: If you are from the area or are visiting in the near future I recommend trying A) Gringo's for the fish tacos B) Back Bay Brewing Company for their decor and C) Young Veterans Brewing Company for their beer. All will be frequent stops when we visit the other side of the bridge.

Now let's get to cooking...

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

1 cup of Flour

1 cup of Dark Beer (I used Fat Tire)

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 pound of Cod 

1-2 cups of vegetable oil (depending on how large your pan is - needs to be about a half inch high)

Pour your vegetable oil in a pan and heat to medium. Mix the flour, beer and salt in a bowl until it becomes a thick milky consistency to make the batter for the cod. Next, cut your cod into long thick strips.

To begin the cooking process, dip each piece of cod into the batter and place into the heated vegetable oil one-by-one until they are a light brown color and flip. Once they are done, remove and lay on a paper towel to dry.

Now it's time to assemble your tacos! For mine, I chose to place my cod pieces on a flour tortilla, top with salsa, cilantro, and sriracha slaw. DELISH.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pico De Gallo

My two ultimate favorite versions of Shrimp tacos have to be either Pelon's (Norfolk, VA) or Plaza Azteca (Hampton Roads, VA). You'd think this would be a dish that no one could royally screw up, but from experience, I can tell you people SURE have! I think with some fresh ingredients and passion for good tacos, you can create the perfect ensemble! Don't let the amount of ingredients deter you from making these. You can always incorporate store bought Pico De Gallo with these delicious spicy shrimp!

Pico De Gallo

1 small yellow onion

1 jalapeno pepper, quartered and seeded

2 garlic cloves, peeled (or garlic salt)

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped (the more the merrier)

 

Shrimp

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

A pinch of cayenne pepper

1-1/2 pounds large or extra large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

*I recommend making them as spicy as you like, these are not strict measurements

 

For Assembling

8 - 10 six-inch corn or flour tortillas

Approximately 2 cups chopped red cabbage, for garnish (I buy it pre-chopped in a bag)

2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish

Approximately 1 cup sour cream, for garnish

To make the pico de gallo, dice all of the veggies finely. Add all of the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and stir lightly (not too rough because you want the avocado to be in tact). If you’re not going to use the mixture right away, place a piece of saran wrap inside the bowl and directly over salsa to prevent discoloration and refrigerate.



Now it is time for the shrimp. Heat the grill to medium. Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper and shrimp in a large bowl. Stir until shrimp are evenly coated with seasoning. Add the shrimp to skewers and place them on the grill. Cooking the shrimp only takes about 1-1/2 - 2 minutes per side until they are just opaque. Cover to keep shrimp warm.



Spoon avocado salsa generously over tortillas (heated if you want), then top with 3 (or 10) shrimp, red cabbage and dollops of sour cream. Serve tacos with lime wedges on the side or more importantly, drizzle some Sriracha Hot Sauce on them for some extra heat :)


Tip: Adding fajita or taco seasoning to the sour cream turns a simple ingredient into a zesty condiment. Take my word for it, it is deeeeeeeelicious!