Mild, White Fish Should Be Your Go-To Filling For Fish Tacos. Here's Why
Nothing brings a sunny mood on Taco Tuesdays like the original Baja-style fish tacos. They're bright and fresh, and the fish instantly take us to the ocean-kissing sandy beaches. As the name suggests, Baja-style is a term that best describes the cuisine of Baja California in Mexico, and yes — that's where the fish taco comes from.
Ralph Rubio, a founder of the legendary Rubio's Coastal Grill, is the man we can thank for bringing the Mexican beachfront staple to the U.S. Little did he know that borrowing a recipe in the '70s from a local taco stand owner in San Felipe would bring him such success. While we rejoice in Rubio's glory, we might as well look at the most essential ingredient that makes a Baja-style taco: the fish. Filling our tortillas with flaky white fish makes for the most beautiful fish taco — let's dive in to see why.
The real reason we favor mild fish for Baja-style taco
It may seem like tacos are such an easy food. You could throw pretty much any topping on them, drizzle some chili sauce on top, squeeze a bit of lime, and enjoy a semi-Mexican dinner with your cerveza. While that's only partially true, there's always a certain level of authenticity that we'd want in our food. If we trace the origins of fish tacos back to Baja California, it's easy to see why white fish might have been the choice of local taquerias. Bass, halibut, and mahi-mahi are plentiful in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. But there's more to choosing your favorite fish for the Baja-style taco.
White-fleshed fish is just so fluffy and light. The subtle flavor of white fish makes it ideal for hot summer days. While oily fish can also be used to make fish tacos, the brightness of an authentic easy fish taco with light cream sauce, shredded cabbage, and lime is the ultimate pairing with white fish. And there's not much we'd want to change; the simplicity of a good fish taco is what makes it so beautiful. The fresher the fish, the less complex toppings you need to enjoy the delicate taste of the ocean. For a more rich fish taco version, you could try grilled mahi-mahi tacos with spicy mayo.
Getting the best out of your white fish
If you've ever been to Baja or to a local taco shop that sells fish tacos, you'll notice that there are often two types of fish wrapped in a corn tortilla: battered, and grilled. Both are unique and very tasty in their own way, so it all comes down to your personal preference. We can never get enough of the batter, so it's definitely our favorite. If you ever attempt to make crispy Baja-style tacos at home, here are a few tips that will surely help along the way.
White fish is best for frying in batter: it's less oily and stays fluffy and moist in the coating. But the beautiful golden batter is what makes fish tacos so comforting, and to achieve this, you'll need some beer. The fish should be coated in a mixture of flour, salt, and beer (just like the fish and chips). You need the yeast and bubbles from the beer to get a fluffy crust, but there's more to this: if you want your batter to be super crispy and stay crispy longer, try mixing it with extra rice flour and carbonated soda. Trust us, it'll be the best beer batter you have ever made. And for the final touch — a secret pinch of white pepper brings out the best in the delicate white fish.