I have a really big love for Mexican food. Fajitas make a regular appearance in our menu at home and it’s one of my favourite foods to eat out. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with more taco style recipes and pairing them up with fish and fresh salsa. The Swordfish tacos I posted on the blog a while back were a hit at home and these Sea Bream tacos didn’t fail to impress either! This time, however, I went to make my own homemade tacos.

A bit of background before I go onto the recipes. When we went to London in December, Michael and I paid a visit to Breddos Tacos (check out my London food guide for more info)  in Soho and really loved the food there. So much so, that Michael sneakily bought me their cookbook, which I promptly received for Christmas. At our annual NYE pot luck party, my friend Brian decided to treat everyone with tacos for his contribution and brought a brand new taco press which he then left to me to keep (yes, I have awesome friends). It didn’t take long for me to put the two new presents to use, and very soon after I made the delicious Bream Taco recipe below (thanks Olive magazine) and used the Breddos Tacos book for simple corn tortilla recipe for the tacos. You’ll find both below with a slight modification to the taco recipe to make a smaller number of tacos.

Sea Bream tacos with mango & lime salsa

Serves 2 | Overall Time 40 minutes + marinading |
A little effort | Dairy Free

Fish Taco 2

You’ll need:

  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced;
  • Demerara sugar 1½ tbsp;
  • 2 limes, zested and juiced;
  • small handful coriander, finely chopped;
  • ¼ chilli, finely chopped;
  • 1-2 tbsp seasoned flour;
  • sunflower oil;
  • 2 large sea bream fillets (about 200g in total) skinned and cut into 3cm pieces);
  • 6 corn soft tacos (follow recipe below or buy ready made from a Spanish deli).

For the salsa

  • ½ ripe avocado, finely chopped;
  • ½ small ripe mango , finely chopped;
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander;
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced

First make the marinade: mix together the onion, a good pinch of salt, sugar, lime juice and zest, coriander and chilli.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, dust the pieces of fish in the seasoned flour and fry for about 45 seconds on each side until golden. Remove and put on kitchen towel. While the fish is still warm, put in a non-metal dish so that it is tightly packed. Pour over the onion marinade and spread it out over the fish. Cool, cover and chill for a couple of hours.

Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Thirty minutes before serving, mix all the salsa ingredients together and season.

If you are using shop bought soft tacos, warm them up now, or cook the tacos after you’ve rested the dough. Top them with bream and onion mixture, salsa and finish with garnishes of your choice (coriander, pickled jalapenos, guacamole…)

Original recipe from Olive magazine, available online here.

Bonus recipe: Breddos Tacos Corn Tortillas

Makes 6-10 tacos | Prep 5 minutes + 30 min Resting | Cook 10 mins
A little effort| Dairy and Gluten-free

Tip: You can make the tacos without a taco press, but it does help!

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You’ll need:

  • 80g masa harina (I used Maseca, available from Lupe Pintos and other specialised Delis);
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt;
  • 50ml hot water + a little extra;
  • 1 tsp rapeseed oil.

Mix the masa harina and salt in a bowl and stir in the water slowly whilst mixing the dough with your hand. Add the oil and knead to form a smooth dough. If the dough is too wet, add some more masa harina and if it feels flaky and dry, add some more water. Leave to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 – 10 equal-sized balls.

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Cut a freezer bag in half or two pieces of baking paper to create two square sections and place onto a hard surface or on the bottom of your tortilla press. Add a ball of masa then place the other freezer bag/baking paper square over the top of the dough. Either push your hand down firmly on the dough or use a rolling pin to create a 12-15cm circular tortilla, or if you are using a taco press, press down using the crank lever. Remove the plastic squares and set the tortilla aside. Repeat, separating each pressed tortilla with a square of baking (parchment) paper.

Heat a heavy-based pan and add the tortillas – cook 1 minute on each side, or until they soufflé slightly, and for 30 seconds further on each side to add a bit more colour, if you wish. Remove after a minute or 2 and wrap in a tea (dish) towel to keep warm.

Original recipe from the Breddos Tacos cookbook, or online available from Cooked.com.au.