Everyone loves a taco, especially a crispy, creamy, bright fried fish taco. This Whole Fried Fish Taco Feast is a riff on the classic fish taco that calls for breaking down an entire fish, frying the individual parts (promise this is not as daunting as it sounds!) and plating it all together. This way, you still get the spectacle of serving the whole fish, while making it easy for your guests to construct their own taco. This recipe encapsulates the joy of cooking for a crowd and looking like you’re in control the entire time.

Robbie Guevarra, @robbieguevarrra

Ingredients

Serves 2 to 4
    For the fish
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • ½ cup rice flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon annatto powder
  • 1 ¼ cup light beer, such as Brooklyn Pilsner
  • 1 quart neutral oil, for frying
  • 1 (2 ½ to 3 lb) whole red snapper
  • For the chipotle mayo
  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie
  • ½ finely diced chipotle plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon MSG

  • For the gremolata
  • ½ cup thinly sliced fresh cilantro stems
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 medium shallot, diced
  • 2 serrano peppers, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons flakey sea salt
  • ½ tablespoon Aleppo pepper
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • For serving
  • Warm corn tortillas
  • Lime wedges
  • Thinly sliced radishes
  • Whole fresh cilantro leaves

Cookware Used
All Aboard & 8” Chef’s Knife
Your go-to kitchen tools
$220$200
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The Dutchess
6.75-Quart Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
$180$99
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Little Sheet & Little Chill
$45$35
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First, start with your beer batter. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup rice flour, plus the salt, baking powder, garlic powder, annatto powder, and beer until combined—the mixture should resemble pancake batter. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. Letting the batter rest and settle will yield a lighter, crispier exterior when fried. 


For the chipotle mayo, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, adding more or less of any ingredient to your preference. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.


For your gremolata, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and toss with a spoon or your hands, adding more or less of any ingredient to your preference. This should be made just before serving.


Once you’re ready to fry, heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottom pan, such as the King Sear or Dutchess, until the oil reaches 350°F. 


Meanwhile, prepare your fish. Start by taking a filet knife and removing both filets from the fish (feel free to keep the skin on or not—it’s a personal preference). Cut the filet in equal portions, about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide. To save yourself this step, simply ask your fishmonger to remove both filets, cut in equal portions, and include the carcass. Lay each piece of fish on a tray and season with salt. 


Now let’s get ready to fry your fish. In a quarter sheet pan, whisk the remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of rice flour to combine. On your counter, arrange your fish, flour mixture, and beer batter, which should be near the oil. Start by lightly coating both sides of each filet in the flour mixture, making sure to pat any extra flour off. Working one at a time, lower the filet into the batter, then lift to let the excess to drip off. Carefully lower the fish into the oil, then repeat with the remaining pieces. Fry until golden brown or the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145°F. Using a large slotted spoon, gently transfer the fish to a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack, like the Little Sheet & Little Chill, and season with salt. When the filets are done, coat the carcass generously with the flour mixture and transfer directly to the oil. Fry, flipping halfway, until golden brown and crisp. 


To plate, grab a large serving vessel, like All Aboard, and place the fish in the center. Evenly sprinkle the gremolata on top of the hot fish. Arrange the chipotle mayo, tortillas, lime wedges, radishes, and cilantro leaves around the fish. Serve immediately.