Have you seen ‘I Love You, Man’? If not, there is this scene where the two protagonists go to a place with the ‘best fish tacos’ around early on in their friendship.

Watching them layer the delicious food onto their tacos, my eyes have convinced me they are a meal I’m dying to try. I’ve actually craved them. Is that possible? Craving something you’ve never actually eaten, well for me it seems to be.

That place exists in Venice, California, a location that’s not just down the road from me. So I set about making some of my own, in my usual endeavor of foreign flavors.

I initially thought that it makes sense where fish taco’s heritage lays – Baja California, Mexico. And a little research has turned up that I’m right. The thing about Baja is that it’s known for the fish being that there is so much coastline and honestly, there are so many great little stalls that serve food there that you’ll have something you’ll want to recreate in your own home if you’ve ever been lucky enough to try Baja tacos in person.

I’ve been down in that jut of land below California and the amount of beaches and bays I got to visit just in the small part of that landscape shows me why fish tacos would come from there. The water surrounds the inhabitants around almost every corner, there’s so much more sea then land.

This recipe has been hovering in my special recipe folder for some time and I have to say, it hits the taste buds just right. Even for a girl who’s from California and used to proper Mexican, this recipe is about as perfect as fish tacos can get.

Baja Style Fish Tacos
Adapted from Cuisine magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
12 tortillas
Salsa
4 tomatoes
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
Black Beans
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
340 grams/12 ounce canned black beans
Fish
500 grams/1 pound fish fillets
1 teaspoon chili flakes
To Serve
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Directions:
To prepare the salsa, place all finely chopped ingredients in a bowl and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to serve.

For the black beans, place the finely chopped onion, garlic, chili, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper with a tablespoon of coconut oil into a saucepan and cook on medium to high heat for approximately 2 minutes, stirring to heat fully through.

Add the black beans and stir on low heat until simmering, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to serve.

Preheat a frying pan with a little oil on medium, once hot add the fish, sprinkle over chili and salt and pepper and cook on both sides until slightly brown, approximately 3 minutes.

Continue with the remaining fish fillets until all are cooked.

To serve, place the salsa, black beans, fish, guacamole and sour cream in individual bowls. With the tortillas on a warm plate.

Serve and eat immediately.

Baja Style Fish Tacos

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Fresh and filling fish tacos come together with hearty black beans, homemade salsa and fresh fish in a style as close to what you would get off the Baja coast in Mexico

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Ingredients

• 12 tortillas
• Salsa
• 4 tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• Black Beans
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 340 grams/12 ounce canned black beans
• Fish
• 500 grams/1 pound fish fillets
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• To Serve
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream

Instructions

1. To prepare the salsa, place all finely chopped ingredients in a bowl and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to serve.
2. For the black beans, place the finely chopped onion, garlic, chili, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper with coconut oil into a saucepan and cook on medium to high heat for approximately 2 minutes, stirring to heat fully through.
3. Add the black beans and stir on low heat until simmering, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to serve.
4. Preheat a frying pan with a little oil on medium, once hot add the fish, sprinkle over chili and salt and pepper and cook on both sides until slightly brown, approximately 3 minutes.
5. Continue with the remaining fish fillets until all are cooked.
6. To serve, place the salsa, black beans, fish, guacamole and sour cream in individual bowls. With the tortillas on a warm plate.
7. Serve and eat immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Cuisine magazine