ridiculous hungry: From Dogs To Fish Tacos...

The other day, I read an article somewhere about how Maria Shriver's dad advised her to make the Governator get a dog early on in their relationship - and to scrutinize his treatment of that dog - because it would be a good indicator of his aptitude as a husband. Growing up, my mom also used to say that, no matter the personality, there is something redeeming in the character of a good dog owner.

Last night's tropical fish tacos...
And by that I mean tropical AND fish tacos
not tropicalfish tacos.

I think there's something to that line of thinking because, whether the ability to care is the chicken or the egg in that argument, I observe this truth in the Man every day. Buried beneath what appears to be an incredibly simple generalization is the understanding that it takes a decent and caring person who is capable of

being selfless in moments,
anticipating the needs of others, and
having empathy and compassion (for a creature unable to speak your language, no less)

to be concerned with the welfare, comfort and pleasure of another being, and ultimately to be a good partner in life.

lo-carb version...

Whether it's waking up 2 or 3 times a night to cover the whiny wiener dog with her blanket, or surprising me with a slice of chocolate cake because I posted my hormonal cravings on facebook, or taking my son to BevMo to buy a 6 pack of some artisanal root beer just because he's enamored with root beer, the Man proves my mom's (and Maria's dad's) point through lots of little kindnesses every day.

And though I often fall short of his thoughtfulness, I do try to remember to return the favor from time to time by making a meal I know he'll love. He generally loves deep fried things. And if those things happen to be beer battered fish wrapped in a corn tortilla with some crunchy cabbage, other fresh veg or tropical fruit, and one or more super hot sauces (he's a chili head), I can find a way to dethrone the Man's best friend, if only while we're eating dinner.

Some folks like a thicker batter on their fish, which is not a bad idea if you need to stretch the fish out. But barring a shortage, I like my batter on the thin side, and I like it really crisp. I find that mixing starch (in this case corn) with the flour, using a light-flavored and golden-colored lager, and keeping the batter cold in the freezer between frying batches helps to achieve just that texture.

light, crisp, golden brown batter...

Yesterday, I served the tacos on corn tortillas (warmed stovetop) with some crisped red cabbage, my blended pico de gallo, a really hot habanero/lime/garlic "crema" made with sour cream and mayo, and some diced, supersweet mango to counter the heat from the chilis in the two sauces. It was simple, fresh and delicious, and I think it made the pooch jealous on multiple fronts. ;)

LAGER BATTERED FISH TACOS

Serves 4

1.5 pounds of flaky white fish (tilapia, snapper, halibut - whatever works. They all cook pretty quickly.) cut into 2-inch long, 1/2 inch thick strips and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
3 cups oil for frying (vegetable, corn or canola). BTW, you can save frying oil (refrigerated) and reuse a good 3 or 4 times before discarding. Just remember to keep the oil used for savory foods for the same purpose. Same goes for sweet/dessert stuff. Oil for fish tacos should probably be saved for another fish taco or fish & chips day.
12 to 15 5-inch corn tortillas

Batter

2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1+1/4 cup of lager beer (Corona, Bud, Kirin - doesn't matter), no foam (just under a full American 12 oz. bottle)

Sauces

habanero/lime/garlic "crema" - zap the following in a blender 20 to 30 seconds or until smooth.

1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons mayo
1 habanero, rough chopped (habis, as they're affectionately called in our house, are VERY hot. If VERY hot is not your thing, you might try using just an eighth or quarter of the pepper to start.)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 very small clove)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

blended pico de gallo (recipe here)

Garnish

No hard and fast rules here. Just some suggestions.

very thinly sliced cabbage (red or green) - I like to crisp the cabbage in a bit of ice water and drain well before serving.
diced tropical fruit (mango, papaya, pineapple) to offset and balance the heat from the chilies in the sauces
fresh avocados
lime wedges
cilantro sprigs

1) Prepare the sauces and garnishes first and refrigerate. You'll want everything else ready as soon as the fish comes out of the fry so you'll have nice, crisp fish tacos.

2) Slice and season the fish.

3) Prepare the batter by whisking all ingredients together in a mixing bowl just until smooth (and no more). Put batter in freezer to cool while oil is heating.

4) Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or Dutch oven to 375F (if you've got a thermometer) or until it's hot enough that drop of batter sizzles and rises to the top within a couple of seconds. Prepare a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels to soak up the excess oil from your fried fish.

5) Get the batter out of the freezer and batter 7 or 8 pieces of fish at a time and fry until golden brown, about 2.5 to 3 minutes per side. Put batter back in the freezer between batches.

6) When you're on your last batch, warm your tortillas per package instructions, or straight on a gas burner, like I do. 10 to 12 seconds per side, directly over high heat.