Coconut Crumbed Fish Tacos with Chimichurri and Sweet Potato Fries
Serves: 2
Time: 40 mins
Using coconut as a crumb creates a fabulous flavour, a real crispy coating plus an added bonus that you it’s a gluten-free crumb. When choosing your fish, pick a white fish with a subtle flavour, such as bream or snapper. If you aren’t down with having this as a taco then bulk up the red cabbage and turn dinner into a salad instead.
Leftovers
It’s fish night and you know how I feel about leftover fish, so lunch tomorrow is veggie tacos.
With Skin On or Off
Try and buy fish that has already had the skin and the bones removed. If you don't have any option but fish that has the skin and bones still on, then add another 50g of weight when you buy it to allow for wastage.
What you'll need
2 large pieces of fish - total weight around 400g
2/3 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup gluten free flour or cornflour
2 eggs
1 packet of gluten free tortillas
1/8 red cabbage
2 carrots
1 kg sweet potato
1 tablespoon of Chipotle Chilies (optional)
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1/2 bunch of coriander
2 Sprigs of mint
1 spring onion, white end only
1 green chilli
1 avocado
1 lime
From the pantry
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
coconut oil
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons Vegenaise or mayo
Optional Extra for Lunch
1 tomato
4 slices of cheese
1 avocado
Gluten Free Tortillas
Gluten free is just an option; you can substitute for regular soft tortillas but I like the texture and the taste better with the gluten free tortilla, they aren't so sweet and if you get a corn base the texture and taste is a bit more authentic.
Feeding Four
I have added xtra fish, coconut, egg, avocado and sweet potato to your shopping list for four.
Prep and Cook
Preheat oven to 180c
Make Sweet Potato Chips
Peel the sweet potato and cut into finger-sized chips.
Place in a large mixing bowl and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear, this is going to remove the excess starch.
Drain and lay out on a dry tea towel, cover with another clean tea towel and pat dry.
Toss in oil with a little salt and pepper, then scatter over baking trays lined with paper. Spreading out the pieces ensuring they aren't too close together.
Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, give the sweet potatoes a turn halfway through.
Prep Slaw
Shred red cabbage and rinse under cold water so that the purple doesn't stain the rest of the salad.
Peel and grate the carrots and add them to your red cabbage.
Wash and roughly chop just the roots of your coriander.
Combine all and set aside.
Make Chipotle Mayo
Combine the veganaise or mayo with 1 tablespoon of chipotle chillies mix together and season with a little salt and pepper.
Make Chimichurri
Roughly chop the mint, parsley, coriander and spring onion.
Finely chop the green chilli and combine all the ingredients with the red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil. Use either a small food processor or stick blender to blitz to chunky salsa.
Season well.
Crumb Fish
Slice your fish up into portions about as thick as your thumb.
Set yourself up with what I call a 'production line'.
In 3 separate dishes, you will need.
Flour, with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Your eggs lightly whisked.
Your coconut and the zest only of your limes. (visually if you wanted to, some freshly chopped coriander would look nice mixed through).
Now dip each piece of fish into the flour, then the eggs, press into the coconut, and repeat until all your fish is crumbed.
Smash Avo
Smash the avocado with the juice of the lime and a good pinch of salt.
Cook Fish
In a large fry pan heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil on medium heat ( you want enough oil to shallow fry, so it needs to cover the base of your pan generously).
Cook each side till lightly golden - approx 2 minutes each.
Keep it Pretty
Presentation is always important to me, so if the coconut has been falling off and discolouring in the remaining oil wipe out your pan and start again otherwise the next batch of fish will pick up that coconut and look burnt.
Transfer on to paper towels.
Add more oil if needed and repeat until all the fish is cooked.
Plate it Pretty
Lightly toast the tortillas in a dry hot pan.
Take your slaw and remove a little for tomorrow, then mix through your mayo and season well with salt and pepper.
Fill tortillas with the smashed avo, some slaw, top with two pieces of crumbed fish and then finish with a little spoonful of chimichurri and a drizzle of mayo.
Serve with sweet potato fries.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
We are pretty keen on avo in this house so what’s leftover is some slaw, a couple of tortillas and some chimichurri. I have used a little plain mayo and some cheese and tomato to make veggie tortillas for lunch.