My best fish tacos so far...

Cod filets

-        Mix together: ½ cup flour, 1 TB corn starch,  1 TB Panko crumbs (or corn meal), 1 tsp or so cilantro (dry), ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper.

-        Milk

Sauce

-        ½ cup mayo

-        2 or 3 tsp white wine vinegar

-        2 or 3 tsp lemon juice (or lime if you prefer)

-        ½ tsp garlic powder (or fresh minced)

-        Black pepper (to taste) (I use coarse ground, as fresh as possible)

-        1 TB torn cilantro leaves

-        ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or some chopped jalapeño)

-        Mix these sauce ingredients and refrigerate one or two hours ahead of time. Thin to a thick but pour-able consistency with a small amount of milk.

Cabbage Slaw

-        2 or 3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage.  Rinse the cabbage in fresh cold water, then cover with cold water with a TB of vinegar and a couple teaspoons salt. Let the cabbage soak for about 30 minutes, then drain, rinse and spin dry.  Dress with –

-        2 or 3 TB vinegar

-        2 or 3 TB sugar

-        1 tsp salt, plus the same or less pepper

-        2 TB olive oil

-        Let the slaw marinate in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes. 

Then: Chop the fish into bite sized nuggets.  A few at a time, soak them in milk and then dredge in the mixed flour ingredients.  Fry in hot deep oil (in a skillet) until golden  - do not fry them too long, they will cook fast.  Drain on a paper towel while you fry the rest – do not crowd the nuggets while they cook.  As they drain, dust them with some salt.

Finally, these are BEST with corn tortillas.  You can use fresh soft ones or the crunchy pre-fabricated kind.  Warm the tortillas (if using fresh, you can fry them for a few seconds on each side until they are as crisp as you like them, or just nuke them for a few seconds until they are soft.

Place three or four fish nuggets in each tortilla, top with a generous amount of the sauce and then top with the cabbage slaw.

I decided two was the proper serving size.  I ate those two.  Then I went back and made another one.  I ate these so fast I couldn't get a photo. I am forbidden to eat tomatoes – but if I could, I’d also top these with some chopped tomato.