Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Thai Fish Tacos

by

 

 

 

This recipe combines two of my favorite things in the food world – tacos and thai food.

If you’re  a boring and dull traditionalist who thinks certain foods should only be cooked a certain way, that certain cuisines should not mix with other cuisines, and that fusion is “weird and confusing” then this probably isn’t for you. Heck, most of the recipes on this blog are probably not for you.

But if you’re down for all sorts of cool and creative food combinations, funky alternatives to the typical fare, and vibrant and fun dishes, then you’ll love this. And let me assure you, this recipe totally works!

I begin by making a simple pad thai sauce – a sweet, sticky, sour, salty concoction made with three quintessential thai ingredients – fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind concentrate. (If you have a bottle of good quality pad thai sauce already in your cabinet, you may forgo this step.)

 

If you’re already familiar with palm sugar, you’ll know it’s as hard as a brick and so you’ll have to dissolve in water along with the rest of the ingredients over the stove (if you cannot find it, you can always substitute with brown sugar).

I add half of the sauce to the fish marinade, and the other half to the crunchy slaw.

For the rest of the fish marinade, I whiz up some bell pepper, serrano chilie, shallot, and ginger in a food processor along with a bit of lime juice. This combination along with the pad thai sauce ensures that the fish has an amazing depth of flavor. I dare you to make this for someone who claims to hate fish and see if they change their mind.

I let the fish sit in the marinade for about 20 minutes or so and fry it in a pan until both sides are golden brown and the fillet is opaque throughout. Once cooked, I let them sit on a plate and lightly flake the pieces with a fork.

 

 

The slaw is crunchy and delightful; for a thai twist I added shallots, roasted peanuts, and sprouts to cabbage and carrots.

 

 

To assemble these, I heat up some tortillas, add a dollop of mayonnaise to the center, spread it all around, add the flaked fish, and then the slaw. Serve these babies up with some sliced lime wedges and extra sriracha.

And there you have it! A recipe that contains the flavors of a pad thai but in a fun summer-time-by-the-beach taco package.

 

Print

Thai Fish Tacos

A fish taco with pad thai flavors and a crunchy slaw consisting of cabbage, carrot, shallots, peanuts, and sprouts. 

Servings 9 tacos

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb fish fillet (tilapia, cod, halibut)
  • 7-8 tortillas (flour or corn)
  • 1/4 cup sriracha mayonnaise (optional condiment)

Pad Thai Sauce (divided) (you may substitute with store-bought)

  • 1-2 tsp tamarind concentrate *or to taste
  • 1.5 tbsp palm sugar *may substitute with brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/2 cup water

Fish Marinade

  • 1 shallot
  • 1 serrano chilie
  • 1/4 bell pepper
  • 1 small piece ginger
  • 2-3 tbsp pad thai sauce (see above)
  • 2 tsp lime juice

Slaw

  • 2 cups cabbage
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/3 cup sprouts
  • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
  • 2-3 tbsp pad thai sauce (see above)
  • 3/4 tsp red chili flakes
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions

Pad Thai Sauce

  1. Combine ingredients (palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, water) in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and sauce has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. ***Note: The amount of tamarind concentrate you add will depend on the brand. Darker brands are more concentrated and tart so add conservatively. **** Allow to cool.

Fish

  1. Begin by making your marinade. In a small food processor or blender, whiz up the bell pepper, chilie, shallot, lime juice, and ginger. Coat your fish fillet(s) in a shallow bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoon of the pad thai sauce to the marinade. Adjust for seasoning. Let sit for 20 minutes.

  2. Bring a frying pan to medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil to coat the pan and fry the fish fillets on both sides. The fish will be ready to turn once the flesh turns opaque about half-way up the side. 

  3. Let the fish sit on a plate and gently flake with a fork. 

Slaw

  1. Chop up all your ingredients (cabbage, carrots, peanuts, shallots, sprouts) finely. Combine well. Dress with pad thai sauce, chilli flakes, and lime juice. Adjust for seasonings. 

Taco Assembly

  1. Warm your tortillas in the oven or over the stove. Add a small dollop of sriracha mayo and spread around. Then add a generous helping of fish and top with slaw. Serve with lime wedges and sriracha.