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Coconut-Crusted Alaska Rockfish Tacos

Coconut-Crusted Alaska Rockfish Tacos
The nutty and shrimplike flavor of wild Alaska rockfish is highlighted by the crispy and sweet coating of panko and coconut, with a touch of sweet and sour in herb-laden sauce.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Yield: 4 (4 oz) servings (2 tacos per serving)

Ingredients

  • Taco ingredients

  • 1 lb wild Alaska rockfish fillets
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ cup panko
  • ¾ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
  • 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup white cabbage, shredded
  • ¼ cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
  • ¼ cup combined Thai basil, cilantro, and mint leaves roughly torn
  • 1 avocado, cut into 1/2” thick slices
  • 8 (6 to 7 in) flour tortillas
  • 1 lime, sliced into wedges
  • Nuoc Cham (Sweet and Sour) sauce

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2- 4 Thai chilis, thinly sliced (or 1 Tbsp. red chili flakes)
Recipe courtesy of Chef Ann Kim

Preparation

  1. Step 1 Make the sauce

    In a small saucepan, add all ingredients except for minced garlic. Bring to a low boil then sim-mer on medium low until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic; simmer additional one minute. Re-move from heat; cool to room temperature.

  2. Step 2 Cook the fish

    Preheat fryer oil to 375 F. Thaw rockfish if frozen. Pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper the fish fillets then slice into 2 oz. strips; set aside. Add flour to a wide shallow bowl. Beat eggs with 2 Tbsp water in a separate bowl. Mix panko and coconut flakes and place in a third shallow bowl. Coat each piece of fish in the flour, then the egg mixture and finally the panko and coconut mixture. Set fish on a wire rack that’s placed on a rimmed sheet tray until ready to cook. Gently place fish strips into the oil and fry about 4 minutes or until golden brown.

  3. Step 3 Assemble the taco

    Mix shredded cabbages, red bell pepper, scallion and herbs in a bowl and set aside.
    Heat flat top or cast iron skillet on high temp. Heat tortillas for about 15 seconds per side. Place one strip of fish on each tortilla. Top with cabbage, bell pepper, scallions and herb mix-ture, and slice of avocado. Serve with nuoc cham sauce on the side or drizzle on top just be-fore serving. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Ann Kim