Serving tacos at home always feels wonderfully cheerful. It’s a great choice for parties and get-togethers, especially if you set out the individual elements for your guests to assemble by themselves. Remember to have lots of paper napkins on the table - it can be messy business!
(serves 6, prep/cooking time: 45 min)
For the sour cream mayo:
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
For assembling the tacos:
• 2 cups fresh beetroot, julienned or coarsely grated
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 punnet fresh coriander
• 12 flour tortillas,
• fresh lime wedges, to serve (or lemon wedges)
For the battered fish strips:
• about 500 g filleted boneless fresh hake (or other sustainable white fish)
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 300 ml soda water (or lager beer, for a more crunchy result)
• about 750 ml canola oil, for deep-frying
Make the sour cream mayo: mix together in a small bowl and set aside.
Make the beetroot slaw: mix the beetroot & mayonnaise together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Grill the tortillas in a hot pan until light brown (without any oil), then stack on top of each other as you go, covered with a clean towel, to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out.
Make the fish goujons: Heat the oil in a deep medium-size pot over medium-high heat (always be very careful when deep frying). Cut the fish into small fingers, about 10 cm long each. In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, paprika and soda water to form a thick paste. When the oil is hot, dip each finger one at a time into the batter, coating it all over, then drop it carefully into the oil. Repeat, working quickly, to fry a couple of goujons at a time. Turn the goujons over and fry until golden on all sides (about 4 minutes in total per batch). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain quickly on kitchen paper.
For the tacos: serve the above elements as a self-serve station where guests can assemble their own tacos using tortillas, a dollop of sour cream mayo, some beetroot slaw, a handful fresh coriander, some hot fish goujons and a squirt of fresh lime.
Serve with a glass of Spier Creative Block 2:
The Creative Block 2 is a medium to full-bodied Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc blend. It has a pale straw colour with hints of lime on the edge. Gooseberries, limes and subtle of cassis show its tropical side, while underlying notes of fynbos and a touch of white asparagus deliver serious depth. The palate is young and tropical, leading to a long, mineral tail that is tight and structured. The concentrated fruit, mouth-coating texture and a brilliant acidity are all perfectly balanced and offer fine poise and length. No doubt this 2017 will become a coveted vintage of Creative Block as it ages over a decade or more.
(Recipe: Ilse van der Merwe, Photography: Tasha Seccombe)