Let fresh fish shine with light coleslaw, zingy avocado sauce and soft tortillas. 

Recipe: Ruth Pretty  Photo and styling: Carolyn Robertson

Makes 12 tacos, serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs (crumb white bread or crusts in a food processor)
½ teaspoon flaky salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
½ cup flour
500g fresh firm fish (such as groper or blue cod), cut into 12 x 40g portions, dried between paper towels
12 soft tortillas
canola oil, for frying
flaky salt, for serving
Coleslaw (recipe follows)
Tangy Avocado Sauce (recipe follows)
2 lemons or limes, cut into wedges

METHOD

Line a tray with plastic wrap. Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Lightly whisk eggs and water in a second bowl and put the flour in a third.

Dip the fish in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, tossing to coat evenly. Arrange on the prepared tray. Cover and chill for at least one hour,
or overnight.

Heat the oven to 160°C. Stack the tortillas in two piles and wrap in foil. Warm in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Set a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil until the pan is about one-quarter full. Test the heat by dropping a couple of breadcrumbs into the oil — if they gently rise to the top, the oil is ready to use. Cook the fish in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, or until golden brown. Turn with a fish slice and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove onto a paper towel-lined tray. Cover the fish with a tea towel to keep warm.

To assemble the tortillas, season fish with salt. Place a little heap of coleslaw down the centre of each warm tortilla and top with some fish. Dollop Tangy Avocado Sauce on top and serve as soon as possible, accompanied with lime/lemon wedges.

Coleslaw

Combine 150g (2 cups firmly packed) thinly sliced cabbage, 1 thinly sliced celery stalk, 3 to 4 thinly sliced radishes and 6 to 10 torn mint leaves. Add dressing of your choice if you wish, but I love the crispness of the vegetables.

Enough for 12 tacos

Tangy Avocado Sauce

Mash the flesh of two avocados, then stir in 2 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Fold in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley or coriander (including some stalks), 1 small finely chopped green or red chilli, 2 tablespoons rinsed, drained and chopped capers, ½ teaspoon flaky salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

Enough for 12 tacos

COOK’S TIP:

Use store-bought tortillas to make a taco feast easy — I recommend Farrah’s 6” Flour Tortillas, made in Upper Hutt, or check out Hands Down Corn Tortillas, made in Napier.

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