Street foods have become their own food category, so much so that some restaurants are basing their whole concept around street-food cuisine. One of the more popular applications is tacos, which is another item with endless combinations and possibilities. This recipe is a riff on the traditional fish taco, but instead of batter frying the fish, we’re poaching it in lager. Poaching the fish allows it to hold more flavor from the poaching liquid than frying it will so you will get those beer-y undertones.
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Serves: 3–4
Ancho Chile Mayo
½ tsp ancho chile powder
½ cup (118 ml) mayonnaise
Juice from half a lime
Pinch of salt
Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Pico de Gallo
1 cup tomatoes, diced
½ cup onion, diced
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Poached Cod
2 cup (473 ml) Birra Moretti L’autentica Lager
1 cup (237 ml) water
2 limes, 1 halved, 1 cut into slices
Salt
1 lb (454 g) Pacific cod
12 corn tortillas, 6" (15 cm)
1½ cup fresh pico de gallo
2 cup shredded lettuce
½ cup (118 ml) Ancho Chile Mayo
1 bunch cilantro
In a sauté pan, combine the lager and water. Squeeze the juice from the halved lime into the sauté pan, along with a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the cod in the liquid, cover, and poach for 3–4 minutes, until you can flake a piece of the cod off with a fork. Remove the cod from the poaching liquid and drain on a paper towel.
Dip the tortillas quickly in cold water and warm in a pan; this will keep them from falling apart while eating. Arrange the tortillas on a plate—I prefer to use two tortillas for each taco, but you can easily use one each if you prefer.
Place the cod in a mixing bowl with the ancho mayo and fold together, making sure not to break up the fish too much. Place the fish mixture on the tortillas, top with shredded lettuce, and pico de gallo, and garnish with lime slices and cilantro.
Beer Suggestions: Pair with the remaining Birra Moretti L’autentica Lager (Udine, Italy). Others we recommend include Victory Brewing Company Victory Lager (Downingtown, Pennsylvania), Hopworks Urban Brewery HUB Lager (Portland, Oregon), and Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union (Framingham, Massachusetts).
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER CINA