Crispy Baked Rockfish Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Serves 4 Rockflaky whitefish (oftenfish that labeled works rock really cod wellor Pacificin fish snapper)tacos. In thisis a version, you batter and bake the fish rather than deep-fry it in a beer batter, so the flavor is less traditional but the method is much easier.
Avocado Salsa
8 ounces tomatillos, husked ½ onion, cut through the root and stem and peeled, plus 1⁄ cup
4 finely diced onion to garnish
1 serrano chile
1 garlic clove
1 large, ripe avocado
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
Kosher salt to taste
Lime juice to taste (optional)
Crispy rock fish
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds rock fish, cut into 3 by 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
8 white corn tortillas, warmed
Small bunch greenleaf lettuce, leaves separated
Lime wedges to serve
To make the avocado salsa: Place the tomatillos, onion, chile and garlic on a pan lined with foil. Sear over low heat until browned, 10-20 minutes, turning often. Stem and seed the chile, then place in a blender with the onion, tomatillos and garlic. Blend until chunky,
then add the avocado and ¼ cup cilantro with salt to taste. If needed, add lime to taste.
To make the rock fish: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a rimmed baking sheet generously with the vegetable oil.
Season the fish pieces with salt and pepper. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls, and season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. Dip the fish pieces first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the eggs, allowing the excess to drip off, and then finally in the breadcrumbs.
Place on the prepared pan and bake until browned, flipping once, 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces.
Serve the fish in the tortillas with the lettuce and salsa and garnish with the chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges.