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Fish Tacos get a makeover using banana blossom as a seafood substitute!
Ingredients
Banana Blossom “Fish”
- 290 g banana blossoms that’s one 510g can
- 4 g kombu or any other kelp
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 360 ml water
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Lime Pickled Onion
- 1 red onion
- juice of 1.5 limes
Baja Sauce
- 90 g vegan mayonnaise
- 20 ml soy milk
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp sriracha hot sauce
Baja Cabbage Slaw & Toppings
- 100 g white cabbage shredded finely with a mandolin or vegetable peeler
- 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 radishes finely sliced
Crispy Batter
- 200 g plain white flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 275 ml beer make sure it’s vegan
- vegetable oil for frying
To Serve
- 10 taco tortillas
- 25 g fresh coriander
- 1 avocado finely diced
- 2 tsp Tajin seasoning optional
- lime wedges for squeezing
Instructions
To Make the Banana Blossom "Fish"
- Carefully open and drain the tin of banana blossoms. Gently rinse under cold water to remove the brine. Place in a medium bowl or ziplock bag.
- To the bowl/bag, add the remaining "fish" ingredients. Cover/seal and place in the fridge to marinade for a minimum of 4 hours.
To Make the Lime Pickled Onion
- Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, slice the red onion as thinly as possible. Place in a bowl or ziplock bag and add the lime juice. Cover/seal and place in the fridge to pickle for a minimum of 4 hours.
To Make the Baja Sauce
- If you have a squirty bottle (an old ketchup bottle will do) add all the ingredients and give it a good shake. If you don't have a bottle, just use an old jam jar. Leave in the fridge while the banana blossoms marinate.
To Make the Baja Slaw
- In a medium bowl, mix the finely shredded cabbage with the remaining slaw ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge until needed.
To Make the Crispy Batter
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes to chill, or until you're ready to fry. Place the can/bottle of beer in the fridge to make sure it's super cold.
- Once the banana blossoms are marinated, remove them from the marinade and place on a plate. Using a very sharp knife, slice them into taco-sized portions (around 2-3 inches long).
- If necessary, heat your tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap in a napkin to keep warm.
- Place a medium, high-sided saucepan on a medium heat and add around 3-4 inches of vegetable oil. Using a probe or candy thermometer, bring the oil to 170c. Once the oil is to temperature, reduce to heat to low.
- Remove the flour mixture form the freezer and pour in the beer. Mix well until you have a thick, smooth batter. Take two pieces of banana blossom and dunk them in the batter, making sure they're nicely coated. Carefully place them both in the hot oil (they should sizzle immediately). Fry for a total of around 2 minutes, flipping half-way through, or until golden brown all over. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of banana blossom. If any of the pieces go soggy or cold while waiting for the later pieces to fry, give them a second fry to crisp them back up.
- To assemble, take a tortilla and add some slaw, followed by a piece of "fish", topped with some pickled onions, a good squirt of baja sauce, some diced avocado, coriander, a sprinkle of Tajin and a squeeze of lime juice.
This recipe was republished with permission from SchoolNightVegan. Find the original recipe here.
