Believe it or not our local Sprouts Market had some haddock on sale yesterday and not just any old fish either. It's "Russian" haddock no less. Haddock, also known as scrod, is a cold salt water fish much like cod and extremely popular in British fish and chips. It has a smaller "flake" than cod but a fairly pronounced flavor, so much so that when I unwrapped our purchase, it was automatically given a milky bath to take the "oogies" away. I happen to love fish but not the fishy flavor and find milk or buttermilk works really well to solve the problem.
After a 2 hour soak in the stuff, the big guy took over and cut the fish into little fingers, then dipped them in baking mix, followed by egg and finally cornmeal. Fried briefly in his trusty cast iron pan the fish came out super crunchy on the outside and moist and tender inside.
Served on a warmed corn tortilla along with some Avocado Cream, a touch of shredded cabbage for crunch and some Mango Papaya salsa courtesy of Trader Joe's, dinner was once again a joint effort and perfect for a hot early summer night.
Speaking of hot - the Big Guy's out as we speak (6:00 am here) applying stain to the trim on our house. It helps when you only have one brush - ha. I sure worked that right didn't I? He's also got the smoker going too, filled to the brim with more side and back bacon. Aren't I the lucky one? It's a cool 61 degrees but before you know it, it's gonna be a scorcher. We're heading for another day in the mid 90's and we'll be into the triple digits by Thursday. Here comes summertime.
Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream
1 pound firm fish (I used Haddock)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2/3 cup baking mix (Bisquick) or all purpose flour
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup cornmeal
Corn tortillas
Shredded cabbage
Assorted salsas
Avocado Cream (see below)
Wash fish and remove any pieces of skin and bones. Place in a zip top bag along with milk and hot sauce. Return to refrigerator for minimum 2 hours. Remove fish from milk and discard milk. Cut fish into 1 inch fingers. Combine baking mix with taco seasoning and pepper. Dredge fish in baking mix, shaking off excess, then dip into egg being sure to coat all sides and dredge in cornmeal being sure to cover all sides. Set on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and allow to dry for 10 minutes before cooking.
Heat approximately 1/2 inch of oil in large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Fry fish in batches until golden brown on the outside (about 4 minutes), turning fingers about half way through. Drain on paper towels. Serve on warmed corn tortillas along with shredded cabbage, salsa and avocado cream.
Avocado Cream (adapted from John Conley, Salsa Brava Cochina)
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 avocado, pit and skin removed
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Store covered in an airtight container in refrigerator. Download Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream
A year ago - Buffalo Chicken Balls
Love fish tacos!
I have a blue streak in my hair - will be blogging later tonight - sweet potato soup - will post a photo - HA! I am feeling wild and crazy - Spring Fever?
Posted by: Lea | 05/22/2011 at 07:35 AM
Lea - hope it really is spring fever and not some kind of tick or mosquito thing. LOL Can't wait to see both the blue streak and the Sweet Potato soup. Love the stuff!
Posted by: June | 05/22/2011 at 07:58 AM
June... Love this haddock recipe. Didn't know you could buy it in your neck of the woods! Will have to try this. Happy Sunday! - Mary L.
Posted by: Mary from Apron Strings & Wedding Rings | 05/22/2011 at 08:06 AM
Mary - it's impossible to buy "fresh" fish here but we can find almost anything that's frozen. It's pretty darn tasty stuff! Hope you have a super Sunday too!
Posted by: June | 05/22/2011 at 08:38 AM
This is really original and thinking outside the box. It looks and sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Posted by: Mary | 05/22/2011 at 09:19 AM