Crispy battered hake piled into warm tortillas with a fresh jalapeño and lime slaw and crispy onions. Level them up with smoky charred corn and creamy avocado crema.

Serves: 4
Makes: 8 tacos
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

Jalapeño & Lime Slaw

3 C (750 ml) finely shredded green cabbage
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes
½ C (125 ml) mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped pickled jalapeños
1 Tbsp (15 ml) jalapeño brine
½ tsp (2.5 ml) honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Charred Corn (Optional Level-up)

1 ½ C (375 ml) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
Pinch of salt
Juice of ½ lime

Avocado Crema (Optional Level-up)

1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sour cream
Juice of ½ lime
1 small handful fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1–2 Tbsp (15–30 ml) water, if needed

Crispy Fish

600 g fresh hake fillets, skinless and boneless
1 C (250 ml) plain flour
½ C (125 ml) cornflour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika
½ tsp (2.5 ml) garlic powder
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 C (250 ml) ice-cold sparkling water
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Salt, to taste

To Serve

8 small flour or corn tortillas
90 g store-bought pickled red onion, drained
½ C (125 ml) store-bought crispy onions
Fresh coriander
2 limes, each quartered

Jalapeño & Lime Slaw

Combine the cabbage, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the lime zest and juice, mayonnaise, pickled jalapeños, jalapeño brine and honey. Mix well, then add to the cabbage mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If making the Charred Corn and/or Avocado Crema (both optional), prepare these now before frying the fish.

Charred Corn (Optional Level-up)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring only occasionally, until lightly charred in places. Season with salt and finish with the lime juice. Set aside until ready to assemble the tacos.

Avocado Crema (Optional Level-up)

Place the avocado, sour cream, lime juice and coriander into a blender or small food processor and blend until smooth.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the water a little at a time, if needed, until the crema reaches a soft, spoonable consistency. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Crispy Fish

Pat the hake dry with paper towel and cut into chunky strips.

Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Gradually whisk in the sparkling water until a smooth batter forms. The batter should be thick enough to coat the fish while allowing the excess to drip away easily.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-based saucepan to reach a depth of 4–5 cm and heat to 180 °C.

Working in batches, dip the hake into the batter and allow the excess to drip off. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning as needed, until golden, crisp and cooked through.

Transfer to a wire rack and season lightly with salt while hot.

To Serve

Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan for 20–30 seconds per side, then keep covered with a clean tea towel.

Add jalapeño and lime slaw to each tortilla and top with a piece of crispy hake. Scatter pickled and crispy onions and fresh coriander and serve with lime wedges.

If using the optional level-ups, add dollops of avocado crema (place into a piping bag to make this easier) and charred corn to each taco before finishing with the onions and coriander.