Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press

http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt

Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
no wonder.

The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.

If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal. Fish,
chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas are
excellent choices for a healthy diet.

But don't give up the fish taco dream just yet. It's easy to clean up
this dish for a healthy palate. The secret to this beer-battered fish
taco recipe is a pan-frying technique that makes crunchy fish using
only a fraction of the fat.

Cooking the fish in a nonstick skillet makes it possible to use a
small amount of oil without having the pieces stick to the bottom. A
well-seasoned cast iron skillet also works, though you might need to
use a bit more oil.

Canola oil is best for the frying because it adds no perceptible
flavor and has a high heat tolerance. Grape seed oil is another good
choice for frying because it also has a high smoke point and adds
little flavor.

For the fish, select any firm, mild-flavored fish, such as tilapia.
Cut the fish into bite-size pieces and dip it in a spicy beer batter.
The beer, common to fish and chips recipes, adds a malted flavor, and
the carbonation keeps the coating light and airy.

Different styles of beer will add different characters to the batter,
so choose one that suits your tastes. Darker beers tend to add more
flavor. Don't use too light a beer or none of the flavor will come
through.

Cooked the fish in two batches so that the pan doesn't get
overcrowded. If the pieces are too close together they won't brown and
crisp up as well.

It's important to pay close attention to the temperature of the pan,
especially after the first batch is cooked. You might need to adjust
the heat to prevent the fish from getting scorched.

The results should be golden-brown and crunchy fish pieces. Keep in
mind that unlike deep-fried foods, these fish nuggets will get soggy
rather quickly, so it's best to eat them right away. In a pinch, you
can re-crisp the fish by baking in a 375 degrees F. oven for 20
minutes.

Soft corn tortillas traditionally are used for fish tacos, but you can
use flour tortillas if you like. To warm the tortillas, wrap the whole
stack in foil and place them in a 300 degrees F. oven for about 10
minutes.

As for the taco toppings, light sour cream makes a good substitute for
the Mexican crema, and you can use just about any other condiments you
like. Fresh or jarred salsas work, and chopped vegetables such as
tomatoes, onions, lettuce and cabbage are nice, as well.

Canned whole black beans also make a tasty topping and add extra
protein and fiber. Make sure to rinse the beans in a mesh stainer to
wash away unwanted sodium that's in the canning liquid.

Fresh peach salsa is a delightful accompaniment for these tacos,
especially in the summer when the fruit is at its best. It takes only
a few minutes to prepare and adds a sweet-and-sour element. If you
don't have peaches you can use diced nectarines, mango, or even
watermelon.

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

Start to finish: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup beer

1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 1-by-2-inch strips

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided

8 soft corn tortillas, warmed

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne.
Whisk in the beer to create a batter. Place half of the tilapia pieces
in the batter and turn to coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-
high heat. One at a time, pick up each piece of fish and allow excess
batter drip back into the bowl. Add the fish to the pan, placing each
piece into a bit of the oil.

Cook until crispy and golden, 2 to 4 minutes a side, then transfer to
a plate and loosely cover with foil.

Coat the remaining fish pieces with batter and fry in the remaining
oil. Adjust heat if necessary for even browning. Serve immediately
with warm corn tortillas.

Nutrition information per serving: 242 calories; 7 g fat (1 g
saturated); 48 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 2 g
fiber; 234 mg sodium.

Fresh Peach Salsa

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

1-1/2 cups peeled and diced ripe peaches

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and toss to coat.

Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 0 g fat (0 g
saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g
fiber; 2 mg sodium.

"Ablang" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>
>
http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt
>
> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
> no wonder.
>
> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
> in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
> and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>
> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal. Fish,
> chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas are
> excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>

Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done properly, deep
fried food is not overly greasy.

I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You need a
heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a crunchy coating.
Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep frying is the only way
to achieve the desired results. And as Alton Brown showed, it isn't greasy
unless you cook it too long. He made a whole pile of fish and chips and
only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:9XUpi.8853$7V6.8279@trnddc03...
>
> "Ablang" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
>> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>>
>>
> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt
>>
>> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
>> no wonder.
>>
>> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
>> in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
>> and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>>
>> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal. Fish,
>> chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas are
>> excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>>
>
> Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done properly,
> deep
> fried food is not overly greasy.
>
> I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You need a
> heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a crunchy coating.
> Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep frying is the only way
> to achieve the desired results. And as Alton Brown showed, it isn't
> greasy
> unless you cook it too long. He made a whole pile of fish and chips and
> only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.
>
> Paul
>
I agree with what you are saying, but my first thought was (sorry to say)
?how much of that liquid was water to make up the 2T of oil lost. Maybe none
because it steamed/boiled away. But, still, I can wonder.;-))
Dee Dee

"Dee Dee" > wrote in
:

>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:9XUpi.8853$7V6.8279@trnddc03...
>>
>> "Ablang" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>>> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
>>> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>>>
>>>
>> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/.../food_and_drin
>> k/doc469d4ec6bf50f625589236.txt
>>>
>>> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and
>>> it's no wonder.
>>>
>>> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served
>>> wrapped in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped
>>> vegetables and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>>>
>>> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal.
>>> Fish, chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh
>>> salsas are excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>>>
>>
>> Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done
>> properly, deep
>> fried food is not overly greasy.
>>
>> I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You
>> need a heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a
>> crunchy coating. Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep
>> frying is the only way to achieve the desired results. And as Alton
>> Brown showed, it isn't greasy
>> unless you cook it too long. He made a whole pile of fish and chips
>> and only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.
>>
>> Paul
>>
> I agree with what you are saying, but my first thought was (sorry to
> say) ?how much of that liquid was water to make up the 2T of oil lost.
> Maybe none because it steamed/boiled away. But, still, I can
> wonder.;-)) Dee Dee
>
>

If the oil is over 300F (more like over 325F or higher recommended for
french frying) any water would steam/boil right out soonest. I also
imagine the oil was left to cool before any measuring occurred; that
would ensure that it had sat long enough at a high enough temp to boil
out any water left; as water is gaseous above 212F (called steam). Plus
oil floats on water...That would be highly noticable in a clear measuring
device. Oil and water by themselves just don't mix...thats why oil and
vinegar salad dressings need to be shaken just prior to use or they
separate.

It is more likely that some part of the missing 2 tbsps of oil was lost
into the air or into the fryer filter (if it had one). Perhaps as much as
1 tsp. So even less oil coated the fish than was suspected.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> news:9XUpi.8853$7V6.8279@trnddc03...
>>
>> "Ablang" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>>> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
>>> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>>>
>>>
>> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt
>>>
>>> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
>>> no wonder.
>>>
>>> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
>>> in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
>>> and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>>>
>>> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal. Fish,
>>> chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas are
>>> excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>>>
>>
>> Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done properly,
>> deep
>> fried food is not overly greasy.
>>
>> I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You need a
>> heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a crunchy coating.
>> Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep frying is the only
>> way
>> to achieve the desired results. And as Alton Brown showed, it isn't
>> greasy
>> unless you cook it too long. He made a whole pile of fish and chips and
>> only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.
>>
>> Paul
>>
> I agree with what you are saying, but my first thought was (sorry to say)
> ?how much of that liquid was water to make up the 2T of oil lost. Maybe
> none because it steamed/boiled away. But, still, I can wonder.;-))

St. Alton the Brown would never lie to us.

Paul

Paul M. Cook wrote:
>
> "Ablang" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease By JIM ROMANOFF -
>> The Associated Press
>>
>>
> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt
>>
>> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
>> no wonder.
>>
>> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
>> in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
>> and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>>
>> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal.
>> Fish, chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas
>> are excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>>
>
> Alton Brown did a great show on frying. He showed that done properly,
> deep fried food is not overly greasy.
>
> I love making fish tacos. Cabbage makes for the best tacos. You need
> a heavy, dense batter that sticks to the fish and makes a crunchy
> coating. Beer batter is best and adds a lot of flavor. Deep frying
> is the only way to achieve the desired results. And as Alton Brown
> showed, it isn't greasy unless you cook it too long. He made a whole
> pile of fish and chips and only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole
> batch.

Of the three joints whose fish tacos I know (one on the pier at Avila
Beach, California, and two within two blocks of the Manhattan Beach
pier), only one batters their fish. I wonder if that predominance of
non-battered is an artifact of my very small sample, or if non-battered
actually does prevail. (I had fish tacos at the latter two just this
week. My personal rating for the three meals the battered ones last,
but I'm not saying that's because they were bettered.)


--
Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> Of the three joints whose fish tacos I know (one on the pier at Avila
> Beach, California, and two within two blocks of the Manhattan Beach
> pier), only one batters their fish. I wonder if that predominance of
> non-battered is an artifact of my very small sample, or if non-battered
> actually does prevail. (I had fish tacos at the latter two just this
> week. My personal rating for the three meals the battered ones last,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^
> but I'm not saying that's because they were bettered.)

My personal rating *places* the battered ones last.


--
Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
...
> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
>> Of the three joints whose fish tacos I know (one on the pier at Avila
>> Beach, California, and two within two blocks of the Manhattan Beach
>> pier), only one batters their fish. I wonder if that predominance of
>> non-battered is an artifact of my very small sample, or if non-battered
>> actually does prevail. (I had fish tacos at the latter two just this
>> week. My personal rating for the three meals the battered ones last,
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^
>> but I'm not saying that's because they were bettered.)
>
> My personal rating *places* the battered ones last.
>

If you ever make it up north to the Chino/Pomona/Ontario/Corona/Norco area,
stop in at a local Albertos drive-in. They make 'em right - best ever this
side of Ensenada. Batter fried to perfection. They make a damn fine fish
burrito too.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:dqWpi.5554$Da.4587@trnddc07...
>
He made a whole pile of fish and chips and
>>> only lost 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch.
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>> I agree with what you are saying, but my first thought was (sorry to say)
>> ?how much of that liquid was water to make up the 2T of oil lost. Maybe
>> none because it steamed/boiled away. But, still, I can wonder.;-))
>
> St. Alton the Brown would never lie to us.
>
> Paul
Darned funny! I'll have to remember that.
Dee Dee

On Jul 26, 1:38 pm, Steve Wertz > wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:55:03 -0700, Ablang wrote:
> > But don't give up the fish taco dream just yet. It's easy to clean up
> > this dish for a healthy palate. The secret to this beer-battered fish
> > taco recipe is a pan-frying technique that makes crunchy fish using
> > only a fraction of the fat.
>
> The author is mistaken in his assumption that the amount of oil
> you start with has some effect on the amount of fat in the
> resulting, fried product. I suspect his method may even come out
> with *more* oil than if you had deep fried correctly (with hot
> oil and the right batter).
>
> -sw

what's the recipe for the right batter? And would you use the same
for home made onion rings?

...fred

On Jul 26, 10:38 am, Steve Wertz > wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:55:03 -0700, Ablang wrote:
> > But don't give up the fish taco dream just yet. It's easy to clean up
> > this dish for a healthy palate. The secret to this beer-battered fish
> > taco recipe is a pan-frying technique that makes crunchy fish using
> > only a fraction of the fat.
>
> The author is mistaken in his assumption that the amount of oil
> you start with has some effect on the amount of fat in the
> resulting, fried product. I suspect his method may even come out
> with *more* oil than if you had deep fried correctly (with hot
> oil and the right batter).
>
He's also wrong in his assumption that fish tacos in coastal Mexico
are always deep-fried. In fact, they are often done in a small wok/
saute pan using about 1/2-inch of oil. It's the frying temperature
and the batter that determine how much oil is absorbed.

And he's wrong when he writes, "Cooking the fish in a nonstick skillet
makes it possible to use a
small amount of oil without having the pieces stick to the bottom." A
nonstick pan is a bad choice for this because it doesn't do well at
the hgh temperature you want for this kind of frying. I use a well-
seasoned 10" steel wok for this kind of small batch frying; nothing
ever sticks.

He suggests tilapia, which wouldn't be high on my list either. The
best fish tacos I've had were yellowtail, in Ensenada and in Loreto.
The most commonly used fish here in the States is cod

It's an ignorant article. -aem

On Jul 26, 4:05 pm, Steve Wertz > wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:46:37 -0000, kuvasz guy wrote:
> > what's the recipe for the right batter? And would you use the same
> > for home made onion rings?
>
> I use the same batter for onion rings as I do for fish - 2/3rds
> flour, 1/3rd rice/potato/corn starch, baking soda, and very cold
> water - never egg. Sometimes I'll add some finely ground
> cornmeal (cornmeal whizzed in the spice grinder). Salt, and any
> seasoning I feel appropriate for what I'm frying.
>
> It's usually a pretty thin batter - never thick and bready. That
> soaks up more oil.
>
> -sw

thanks -- I probably would have made it too thick -- I thought beer
was usually added to this recipe...

...fred

"kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Jul 26, 4:05 pm, Steve Wertz > wrote:
>> On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:46:37 -0000, kuvasz guy wrote:
>> > what's the recipe for the right batter? And would you use the same
>> > for home made onion rings?
>>
>> I use the same batter for onion rings as I do for fish - 2/3rds
>> flour, 1/3rd rice/potato/corn starch, baking soda, and very cold
>> water - never egg. Sometimes I'll add some finely ground
>> cornmeal (cornmeal whizzed in the spice grinder). Salt, and any
>> seasoning I feel appropriate for what I'm frying.
>>
>> It's usually a pretty thin batter - never thick and bready. That
>> soaks up more oil.
>>
>> -sw
>
> thanks -- I probably would have made it too thick -- I thought beer
> was usually added to this recipe...

It is

Use a nice malty beer, like Sierra Nevada. Use flour, salt, pepper, maybe a
teaspoon of cornstarch and an egg. I don't really have a recipe. I use
maybe 2 cups of flour and work from there. You want it on the thick side,
about the consistency of cornbread batter.

Deep fry in 3 inches of oil at 350F. Keep an eye on the fish, and take it
out after the bubbling just begins to slow - 2-3 minutes depending on the
cut of the fish. Drain and cool, cut and serve when still warm. Sometimes
I sprinkle a tad of seasoned salt on the fish at this point.

Be sure the fish is bone dry before dipping it in the batter. I use a paper
towel to press out the free moisture. Red Snapper, Cod, Roughy, Halibut all
work really well.

I can eat thes all day, they are very light and tender. Not at all greasy.

Paul

On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:11:44 -0500, Steve Wertz
> magnanimously proffered:

>Here's what I did tonight. Very light and crispy, not greasy at
>all. There were some spices in the batter, as you can see.
>Those are whole ocean clams - "Steamer Size", bellies removed.
>An tilapia.
>
>http://i18.tinypic.com/4yjbeir.jpg
>http://i19.tinypic.com/5yhbz9x.jpg

Although I've heard of the fish I'm not familiar with Tilapia or whole
ocean clams. What size are those fillets and the clams you're about to
fry? Are the clams as big as they seem in the photo?!?


--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:04:21 -0700, kuvasz guy wrote:
>
>> On Jul 26, 4:05 pm, Steve Wertz > wrote:
>>> On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:46:37 -0000, kuvasz guy wrote:
>>>> what's the recipe for the right batter? And would you use the same
>>>> for home made onion rings?
>>>
>>> I use the same batter for onion rings as I do for fish - 2/3rds
>>> flour, 1/3rd rice/potato/corn starch, baking soda, and very cold
>>> water - never egg. Sometimes I'll add some finely ground
>>> cornmeal (cornmeal whizzed in the spice grinder). Salt, and any
>>> seasoning I feel appropriate for what I'm frying.
>>>
>>> It's usually a pretty thin batter - never thick and bready. That
>>> soaks up more oil.
>>
>> thanks -- I probably would have made it too thick -- I thought beer
>> was usually added to this recipe...
>
> I don't use beer. Baking soda does the same thing, only better.
> I don't like the taste of beer in a batter. I save it for a
> chaser.
>
> Here's what I did tonight. Very light and crispy, not greasy at
> all. There were some spices in the batter, as you can see.
> Those are whole ocean clams - "Steamer Size", bellies removed.
> An tilapia.
>
> http://i18.tinypic.com/4yjbeir.jpg
> http://i19.tinypic.com/5yhbz9x.jpg
>
> -sw

Second picture looks quite tasty. Good pictures! Am wondering on the malt
vinegar what "Traditional British Flavor" means; how it differs.
Dee Dee

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:55:03 -0700, Ablang >
magnanimously proffered:

>Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
>By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press
>
>http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...f625589236.txt
>
>Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
>no wonder.
>
>The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
>in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
>and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.

Sounds worth going to Mexico to try.

What follows is an excerpt from a story from my website about a
surfing trip down to Costa Rica in the early-70's.

We weren't served "fish tacos" as such ... and none of it was
battered. But we were served fish and chicken stir fried in the wok
described in the story. No "crema" or any other dairy products, but
some basic salsas and the small tortillas that are normal in Costa
Rica. It was delicious:

From Banditos Part II

We camped out at several places and stayed in a beachfront "hotel" on
Playa Tamarindo that consisted of an old, solidly built two-story
building fashioned from rough hewn hard wood. The huge square
supporting posts and beams had been sandblasted over the years so the
hotel looked like it had been there forever.

The ground floor consisted of an open room sunk in below the level of
the beach to keep it out of the wind and sand. That’s where the
owner’s cook prepared our meals and where we ate on a table with
benches that looked as old as the hotel itself.

We slept above the ground floor in a large room that was open on three
sides. Except for a few small tables and some old armchairs, the room
was otherwise empty and we slept in two of the twenty or so hammocks
positioned to take advantage of the cool breezes off the sea. There
was no electricity, so we read by candlelight or an old Coleman
lantern and woke at sunrise to be greeted by the day’s surf out in
front of the hotel.

The cook was a part-Chinese, part-Afro Costa Rican from the "other
side" - or Caribbean coast. The man was a miracle worker.

All his meals were prepared in a heavy old wok around three feet in
diameter and made of thick smoke-blackened iron. While the rice and
beans we had with every meal cooked on nearby gas rings, the wok sat
on a platform of stones above a charcoal fire. And almost without
seeming to move, our chef would skillfully move the meat or eggs, or
vegetables up or down the sides of the wok to control how they cooked.
Lastly, the small tortillas that are normal in Costa Rica would be
thrown in around the sides so that everything was ready at the same
time.

The menu was as simple as it was delicious. Rice, beans, tortillas and
eggs for breakfast. Rice, beans, tortillas and fish for lunch. Rice,
beans, tortillas and fish, chicken or beef for dinner - with veges and
other seafood delicacies, like lobster and shellfish thrown in when
available.

I wish I’d learned what he put in those beans to make them what I
looked forward to most. They were the best I’ve ever eaten. And since
we bought fresh fruit and coconuts from local sellers and I kept us
supplied with fresh alfalfa sprouts, we had a nicely balanced diet.

Good thing, too. Because we surfed and surfed and surfed on empty
waves that made up for their 3-6 foot size by being perfectly shaped.



--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:04:47 -0500, Steve Wertz
> magnanimously proffered:

>On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:24:26 +1200, bob wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:11:44 -0500, Steve Wertz
>> > magnanimously proffered:
>>
>>>http://i18.tinypic.com/4yjbeir.jpg
>>>http://i19.tinypic.com/5yhbz9x.jpg
>>
>> Although I've heard of the fish I'm not familiar with Tilapia or whole
>> ocean clams. What size are those fillets and the clams you're about to
>> fry? Are the clams as big as they seem in the photo?!?
>
>The fillets are about 4.5" long and the clams are about 1.5"
>across - maybe a little bigger.
>
>Tilapia can be found all over the place nowdays. It's a pretty
>cheap fish - I pay $3.50/lb for IQF fillets at the grocer, $4/lb
>at CostCo for fresh fillets (all skinless/boneless). Mild
>flavored fish that can withstand spicing up or frying, and good
>for many other dishes (except smoking).
>
>-sw

Thanks. We don't get Tilapia down here in New Zealand. The generic
fish varieties usually sold as "fish" in fish & chips (for example)
are blue warehou, red cod, and elephant fish & lemon fish (both
varieties of shark). More expensive varieties used include blue cod,
tarakihi, gurnard, John Dory, hoki and - most expensive of all -
snapper. One of my favourites is squid rings.

I've never tried deep frying battered fish before, but I'm going to
give your recipe a go and report back on the results.

--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

On Jul 25, 8:55 pm, Ablang > wrote:
> Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
> By JIM ROMANOFF - The Associated Press

So, you agree with this?
>
> http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/...e/food_and_dri...
>
> Fish tacos are extremely popular in coastal areas of Mexico, and it's
> no wonder.
>
> The local catch of the day is battered, deep fried and served wrapped
> in corn tortillas along with a variety of salsas, chopped vegetables
> and crema, a rich Mexican version of sour cream.
>
> If it weren't for the deep-frying, this would be a healthy meal.

What is less than healthy about "deep frying"? Do you know?

> Fish, chopped tomatoes and onions, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsas are
> excellent choices for a healthy diet.
>
> But don't give up the fish taco dream just yet. It's easy to clean up
> this dish for a healthy palate. The secret to this beer-battered fish
> taco recipe is a pan-frying technique that makes crunchy fish using
> only a fraction of the fat.
>
> Cooking the fish in a nonstick skillet makes it possible to use a
> small amount of oil without having the pieces stick to the bottom. A
> well-seasoned cast iron skillet also works, though you might need to
> use a bit more oil.
>
> Canola oil is best for the frying because it adds no perceptible
> flavor and has a high heat tolerance.

BULL FU(KING SHIT! Canola tastes like crap.

[snip]
>
> Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 0 g fat (0 g
> saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g
> fiber; 2 mg sodium.

So, the author claims that the pieces absorb less than 0.5g per
serving of the nasty canola oil? BULLSHIT.

--Bryan

In article m>,
Bobo Bonobo(R) > wrote:

> On Jul 25, 8:55 pm, Ablang > wrote:
> > Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease


> > Canola oil is best for the frying because it adds no perceptible
> > flavor and has a high heat tolerance.
>
> BULL FU(KING SHIT! Canola tastes like crap.
>
> [snip]
> >
> > Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 0 g fat (0 g
> > saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g
> > fiber; 2 mg sodium.
>
> So, the author claims that the pieces absorb less than 0.5g per
> serving of the nasty canola oil? BULLSHIT.


The nutrition information you quoted is for the salsa, not the fish.

On Jul 27, 5:30 pm, Dan Abel > wrote:
> In article m>,
> Bobo Bonobo(R) > wrote:
>
> > On Jul 25, 8:55 pm, Ablang > wrote:
> > > Battered fish tacos need not be covered in grease
> > > Canola oil is best for the frying because it adds no perceptible
> > > flavor and has a high heat tolerance.
>
> > BULL FU(KING SHIT! Canola tastes like crap.
>
> > [snip]
>
> > > Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 0 g fat (0 g
> > > saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g
> > > fiber; 2 mg sodium.
>
> > So, the author claims that the pieces absorb less than 0.5g per
> > serving of the nasty canola oil? BULLSHIT.
>
> The nutrition information you quoted is for the salsa, not the fish.

My bad.

--Bryan