Let’s say that it is late-afternoon on a Saturday. The sun is warm. The sky is blue. You’ve worked hard around the house and yard this day and now you’re going to reward yourself with a cold beer on the patio. You grab your beer from the fridge and head outside but then you STOP. You think, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a snack with my cold beer on the patio?” YES! You check the pantry and, in fact, there is a bag of unopened potato chips just waiting for you. But what about a dip? A creamy onion dip?
Don’t even think about hoping in the car and running down to the store because you are ready to relax on the patio RIGHT NOW! But, with Randy’s Eat Shop Creamy Onion Dip you’ll be on the patio in about 10 minutes with cold beer, crinkle potato chips (ridges provide more structure to the chips making them better for dipping), and creamy onion dip that YOU MADE from scratch (no onion soup mix required).
Here’s the recipe:
Creamy Onion Dip
1/4 cup of dried onions crushed (in a mortar and pestle if you have one)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/3 cup sour cream
Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a whisk or hand mixer. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator for later.
Here’s what mine looked like the last time I whipped this dip together in less than 10 minutes:
And yes, I ate the entire batch on the patio with two cold beers. I did not feel guilty. And I was very happy.
Tell us if you tried this recipe. Did you like it? Did it come together in ten minutes or less? Did you eat the whole batch in one sitting? Did it require two cold beers? Most importantly, were you happy? Tell us how it worked for you . . . or not.
Remember: life happens on the patio. Enjoy!
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What a silly question! Who doesn’t like food that tastes good? Other than for pure nutrition (read: human fuel), if it doesn’t taste good, why eat?
So, how do you like your food to taste? What spices do you use to get the flavor that, when you take a bite, makes you smile, close your eyes, and whisper to yourself in an undertone . . . “yummy!”? Well, whatever you have in your spice cabinet, you may want to try Randy’s Eat Shop Smoked Paprika Spice and end up adding it to your seasonings as a “regular”. Here’s the recipe and then I’ll tell you how I use it.
Smoked Paprika Spice
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoons coarse salt
4 Tablespoons smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Teaspoons cocoa powder
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a bowl, combine all the spices and mix well. Then, using an immersion blender, pulverize the mix to a powder. This works best if you have a tall jar that the blender will fit into to prevent the mix from being thrown about while blending. Or, use a coffee bean grinder.
Store in a small jar in your spice cabinet.
Tasty Ideas for Using Smoked Paprika Spice
Pan fried pork cutlet seasoned with Smoked Paprika Spice.
So, you can use this spice as a rub on chicken or pork. I frequently fry up a pork cutlet with some potatoes for breakfast.
And speaking of potatoes, if you like to dust your breakfast potatoes with a little seasoned flour or seasoned cornstarch to get them nice and crispy, add a couple of teaspoons of Smoked Paprika Spice with your other seasonings for some solid base and zing to the flavor of your potatoes. (I use canned diced potatoes with skin on — they cook up much faster.)
Mix cornstarch and spices including Smoked Paprika Spice to dust potatoes and get them tasty and crispy.
Or, when you make rice, do you add a little garlic powder or onion powder to the rice before cooking? Well, add a couple of teaspoons of Smoked Paprika Spice and taste the difference in your cooked rice.
You could even add a couple of teaspoons of Smoked Paprika Spice to the red sauce you make for your homemade pizza. That will make the flavor of your pizza truly yours.
This is a very versatile spice that has the flavor of summer all over it! And of course, you’ll want to enjoy this wonderful summer flavor on the patio, right? So mix up a batch and use it in your favorite recipes.
Let us know in the comment section below if you made it, liked it . . . or not. Tell us in what recipes you use the spice. Life happens on the patio. Enjoy!
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The weather is good now on the patio. And what a better way to enjoy the patio in nice weather than to commune with nature while enjoying a warm-weather cocktail. Something slightly sweet with a bit of “tang”. Muted in color as the spring flowers are also while they eke out their first buds. Of course, this adult beverage should be served in a martini glass! Yes, it could only be a cosmopolitan cocktail — cosmo for short.
Popular several decades ago when we were “budding” ourselves, the cosmo lost its devoted following but more recently is making a come-back. Surely the cosmo is a welcome quest on any patio.
Mix-up a Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Perhaps you are familiar with a cosmo, maybe you know it but haven’t enjoyed one in years, or you might just be new to the succulent joys of this elixir. Whatever the case, here is a recipe for a delectable cocktail that will become a standard for your patio enjoyment.
This lovely cocktail can be made with ingredients you likely already have in your personal bar or fridge.
Cosmopolitan Cocktail
2.5 oz Citron (Lemon) Vodka — do not substitute plain vodka
1.0 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice — NOT Cranberry Juice Cocktail
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 tsp maple syrup
Orange peel for garnish
Add vodka, Triple Sec or Cointreau, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Details
The vodka must be lemon flavored. You choose the quality. Substituting regular vodka will not result in a “real” cosmo.
Use plain cranberry juice. Do not use cranberry juice cocktail. Because it is sweetened, your cosmo will be overly sweet. Yuk! Who wants to drink candy?
If you plan in advance to have fresh limes, use them. If not, bottled lime juice is a good substitute. (I always have bottled lime juice in my fridge.)
Use a strip of orange peel to wipe around the rim of the martini glass to make it sticky so it will capture the granulated sugar with which you’ll want to rim the glass edge. Give the orange peel a twist to squeeze out a bit of the oil from the peel before wiping the glass rim. Then dunk the glass on a plate of granulated sugar to coat the rim. Drop the orange peel in the glass before pouring in the cosmo.
You now have a delightful concoction with which to enjoy while relaxing on the patio. You might want to enjoy your cocktail with some shrimp and brie wonton cups by scrolling to the bottom of the recipe for Sausage Wonton Cups. Yum!
Let us know in the comment section below if you tried this recipe and how you liked it . . . or not. Or, did you modify it with success? How so? Do you have another Cosmopolitan cocktail mix you’d like to share? Post a photo of your finished cocktail.
Remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
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Around the fire pit in winter or kicking back on a summer evening on the patio, a hot toddy is a great drink to enjoy — comforting and satisfying. Here’s a simple recipe to create a tasty hot cocktail.
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Honey
1/4 cup Whiskey or Scotch
3/4 cup Boiling Hot Water
Put the lemon juice in the cup first. Then add the honey and leave the tablespoon in the cup to stir your elixir and allow all of the honey to join your drink. Next, add the Whiskey or Scotch or your choice. Finally, add the boiling water and stir until well mixed.
It’s just that simple!
Be careful of your initial sips as the drink will be quite hot at this point. Taste it to make sure you’re happy with the flavor and then let it rest a minute and cool to your preference.
Note: Your choice of Whiskey or Scotch doesn’t have to be “top shelf” because you’re mixing it with honey and lemon.
Remember, every day is Friday on the patio. Enjoy!
Please Leave a Comment: Julie’s Hot Toddy
Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. Are you a winter, summer, or both hot toddy drinker? If a winter hot toddy drinker did it keep you warm on your seasonally chilly patio? Did you have it around your fire pit? If summertime, did you mix your hot toddy in a insulated travel mug and kick back on your hammock for a relaxing afternoon? Please share comments and a photo.
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OK, who doesn’t like pizza? Wait, don’t answer that if you’re in the “no” category. “No” to pizza is beyond my grasp to understand. For all of you “yes” people, what is the secret to good pizza? One word: Homemade! So much better than store bought!
Homemade Pizza
Homemade pizza is the best pizza because . . .
You get great satisfaction out of making something fabulous with your own hands.
You know the quality of the ingredients.
You have all of the flavors YOU like.
You get to eat it hot out of your own oven.
You didn’t pay some outrageous price.
You’ll probably have a cocktail while you’re making your pizza and a cold beer to wash it down. Oh yeah!
Start With the Dough
Homemade pizza dough is easy to make and tasty to eat. Here are the ingredients:
3 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt (I cook with coarse salt because it has more flavor)
Add any other spices you may want to flavor the crust such as garlic power, crushed rosemary, dried onions, red pepper flakes or other spices to suit your palette. Adding seasonings to your dough will greatly enhance the flavor of your pizza.
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly and lightly knead to get an even mixture and smooth (not sticky) dough. If you have a food processor it really makes mixing the dough very easy. With the dough in a bowl, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
OK, now you’re at a decision point. This recipe makes enough dough for two medium sized pizzas. So, if you only want one, split the dough ball in two and put one half in a zip lock bag and stick it in the freezer. The next time you’re craving pizza it’ll take about half an hour to thaw out on the kitchen counter.
Roll out your dough with a roller on a lightly floured surface and drop it into a lightly oiled oiled pan or just press the dough onto a greased baking sheet with your hands. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Bake at 425° for seven minutes to get the crust started and prevent your dough getting soggy from the sauce and toppings.
Wait! What’s the Best Thing to Cook a Pizza on?
Now, this is a huge point of contention among homemade pizza chefs. Many will swear by using a pizza stone. Not me. I swear by cast iron. All of my pans are cast iron. They are like trucks — multi-purpose — they fry, they bake, they broil. They take a beating and always hold up. You’ll get a nice crisp, evenly baked crust on cast iron. Here’s a few options I have in my cupboard.
Cast Iron Pancake Griddle and 10.5″ Cast Iron SkilletSquare Cast Iron Skillet
What Kind of Sauce Goes on Homemade Pizza?
What do you like? We like a mixture of chopped fresh garlic, pesto and olive oil. Traditionally a red sauce is found on pizza. There are many good options of jarred sauce at the grocery store. Here’s a quick homemade pizza sauce recipe:
Combine the tomato sauce and paste in a bowl and mix until smooth — with a whisk if you have one. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix throughly. Adjust flavor as your palette requires adding more seasoning if necessary. Making the sauce a hour or so early will allow the slices to “marry” giving you more flavor.
What Toppings Can Be Put on Homemade Pizza?
Any topping ingredients of your choice:
Tomato slices spun in a salad spinner to release water content
Kalamata olives, sliced and drained well
Chopped salami, ground sausage, pepperoni slices, chopped sautéed chicken, diced ham, sliced shrimp — whatever protein you like
Sliced onion
Pineapple
Fresh basil leaves
Really, whatever you like to taste as long as the flavors go together and you don’t over do it. Two or three toppings is good. Any more than that and you have a smorgasbord on your pizza — not good!
Which Cheese is Used on Homemade Pizza?
Mozzarella is the standard although I have sometimes used Jalapeño Jack. The goal here is to have a creamy cheese that melts well. Use chunk cheese and grate it yourself — it melts better. Pre-grated cheese from the grocery store includes cellulose to prevent caking in the bag. It also impedes the melting. And, who wants to eat cellulose? Not me! Eight to 16 ounces is usually good for one pizza.
And remember . . . the cheese goes on the top. It is the glue that holds your toppings on the pizza.
Build Your Homemade Pizza!
So, by now you’ve made your dough and baked it for the initial seven minutes.
Add your sauce. Go slow. Better to start light and see if your crust is adequately covered than drown the crust in sauce to the point that it will be soggy after the final bake.
Add your toppings. Make sure you’ve drained all toppings so they are as dry as possible. A salad spinner will get rid of extra juice from your pineapple or sliced tomatoes to prevent a soggy finished pizza.
Top your pizza with the grated cheese. Make sure all edges and corners are covered so every square inch will be tasty. As an added flavor, at this point, I sometimes sprinkle just a bit of grated Parmesan if I have some in the fridge for an extra tangy blast to my pizza. And I almost always lightly dust the top of the cheese with a little dried oregano.
Bake Your Homemade Pizza
Your oven should be pre-heated to 425°. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. I check it at 12 to 15 minutes to see if it needs more time or to spin the the pan in the oven in case one area of the oven is hotter than another area. Look for the crust edge to be golden brown and the cheese to start browning as well.
Shrimp and tomato pizza on a garlic, pesto and olive oil base topped with mozzarella
Eat Your Homemade Pizza
When finished, I slide my pizza onto a baking rack to cool so the crust doesn’t get soggy — maybe for about ten minutes. Then I slide it onto a cutting board.
OK. If you have one of those pizza wheel cutters throw it away! Go to Amazon or a restaurant supply website and buy a pizza knife similar the one pictured here. This is 14 inches but you can get them larger. Your pizza will cut cleanly without ruining the cooling cheese.
Amazing pizza cutter
Now you’re ready to eat some of the best pizza you’ve ever had while living on the patio. And YOU made it! You’ve got cold beer, right?
Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you or how you modified the recipe to fit your taste. What toppings did you use? What pan did you bake it on? Attach a photo of your pizza!
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These sausage wonton cups are easy to make and are very popular with guests and family members. When they entertain and you are invited, they’ll ask you to bring sausage wonton cups. That’s how good they are! And they eat very well on the patio with an accompanying adult beverage.
Sausage Wonton Cups
1 Lb. ground pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
8 oz cream cheese (chunk)
2 – 3 Tbsp jalapeño, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp fennel seed, crushed in motar & pestel
1-2 tsp ground sage
8 oz sharp cheddar
24 wonton wrappers
Olive oil
Do this:
Take wontons out of refrigerator and, in their package, let warm up to room temperature.
Place raw meat in a medium bowl and add red pepper flakes, sage, and fennel seed — mix into the raw meat. In a frying pan add onion, garlic, jalapeño and sauté until soft and translucent. Add seasoned sausage to onion and cook mashing with potato masher to break up meat. Cook until no linger pink.
Remove pan from heat, spread meat to create a clear spot in the center of the pan. Place the chunk of cream cheese (8 oz) in center of pan and cover with hot meat to soften. After a few minutes, use potato masher to thoroughly mix meat and cream cheese together. Set aside.
24 cup Mini Muffin Pan
Using a 24 cup mini muffin pan, lightly oil each cup. Use one “pliable” wanton per cup and press each wonton into each cup without breaking or splitting the wonton so that the wonton is open on the top ready for filling. When all the cups in the mini muffin pan have a wonton pressed into it, bake for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
Empty Wontons UnbakedEmpty Wontons BakedFilled Wontons UnbakedBaked Wontons Topped With Cheddar Cheese and Ready to Eat!
Now that the wontons are firm and crisp, scoop the sausage mixture into each wanton cup, distributing the mixture so all 24 cups are evenly filled. Top each cup with a pinch of grated sharp cheddar cheese*. Bake another 6 minutes to melt the cheese and finish browning the wontons. Remove from oven and let cool several minutes.
* I prefer to buy cheese in a block and grate it myself because it melts better. Pre-grated cheese is coated with cellulose to prevent the cheese from caking and clumping in the plastic bag in which it is sold. Because of that, it doesn’t melt as easily and nicely, and . . . who wants to eat cellulose!
Here’s an alternative filling for the wontons. Sometimes I split the 24 cup mini muffin pan with 12 sausage and 12 shrimp wonton cups.
After you’ve initially baked the empty wontons, place a pinch of chopped cilantro in the bottom of the wonton. Then, stuff two medium to large, cooked, deveined, shelled shrimp on top of the cilantro into the wonton cup. Top the shrimp with a reasonably sized piece of brie. Bake them same as the sausage cups. You’ll end up with a gooey but delicious wonton cup that’s pretty too!
Please Leave a Comment: Sausage Wonton Cups
Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. Did you modify your wonton cups and, if so, please share. Attach a photo of your baked wonton cups!
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I like a combination of textures in my food. Toast whose crust is crisp and crunchy while the center is soft and chewy (smothered in butter, of course). And that’s why I love Randy’s Eat Shop recipe for Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream. The “ice cream” part is exceptionally smooth and silky. The “peanut brittle”, broken into small pieces, offers a nice crunchy element — peanuts, the brittle, oh my! On top of that, this recipe is just so easy to make. In a half hour you can have it all mixed up and in the freezer firming up for you. Make it in the morning and you’ll have something to be excited about all day. But be forewarned: I take no responsibility if, on arriving home, you sit down with a container of Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream and a spoon and much sooner than you think the container is empty. It’s just that good.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the cold cream on high speed until hard peaks form.
Turn off the machine and pour the condensed milk into the whipped cream.
Turn the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is thick and stiff peaks. Turn off the machine and stir in vanilla extract and the crushed peanut brittle. Mix on high until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Instead of adding crushed peanut brittle, at this point add:
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
1 cup fresh cherries, chopped
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Walnuts Break the walnuts into small pieces and toast in a skillet on the stove top. Don’t add any oil to the pan — the walnuts have enough oil in them to do the job. Do keep a keen eye on your toasting walnuts and stir them frequently. Be careful because they can easily burn. When at the point you want (by tasting a piece or two), remove them from the heat and pour them into a bowl to stop the toasting before they burn.
Cherries If at all possible, use fresh cherries. Our friend Maria has a beautiful cherry tree in her back yard and she invites us to pick every year. We don’t have a cherry pitter so we just squeeze the cherries to push the pit out. Then, chop the cherries. Put chopped cherries in a bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mix with a spoon. To prevent your ice cream from being soggy instead of creamy, put the cherries in a mesh strainer for about 10 to 15 minutes to drain the juice away. Push on your cherry mash with a spoon to help drain away the juice.
So, at the point in the recipe above when you would have added the crushed peanut brittle, instead, add the toasted walnuts and crushed, sweetened cherries. Mix on high until well combined and smooth.
Please Leave a Comment: Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream
Please post a comment below to tell us how the recipe worked for you and if you liked this ice cream. Did you modify the recipe? If so, share. Attach a photo of your version of this ice cream.
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In my humble opinion, the best coffee in the world is cold brew coffee. It has all of the flavor and caffeine of hot brewed coffee but without 67% of the acid. Easy on your stomach!
Here’s some quick and easy steps to get started.
Prep for Cold Brew Coffee
Grind or have your whole beans ground coarse. Use a French Press grind or even a bit more coarse. We grind our own at home with a hand-driven grinder. We bought a Wondermill Junior several years ago and it still works great.
Use a strong coffee, like a French or Italian roast. You can adjust the intensity of the flavor — milder or more robust — when you make your cup of coffee to suit your taste because this recipe brews a coffee concentrate to which you add water for a hot cup of joe.
As we’ve aged, we only drink decaf. I know, I too used to say decaf was for weenies. But we found a French Roast that has great flavor — we can’t tell the difference. Check out San Fransisco Bay Coffee. Yummy stuff!
The ratio for brewing is one to two — for every one cup of ground coffee, add two cups of water. Brew your coffee in a glass or stainless steel container on the countertop for fifteen (15) hours. Filter the coffee concentrate from the grounds. Then, put the grounds in your compost heap or container.
Enjoy a Cup of Cold Brew Coffee
Here are the ratios of concentrate for a hot cup of coffee or an iced coffee:
Hot Coffee One quarter cup (1/4) of concentrate to three quarters cup of boiling hot water. The beauty of cold brew is that you can adjust the mix to suit exactly how you like your coffee. Use less concentrate if this ratio is too strong for you. Use more concentrate if you like your coffee more beefy.
Iced coffee If you’d like to have an iced coffee in the afternoon, use one half (1/2) cup of coffee concentrate and one half (1/2) cup of milk or half-n-half with a touch of some sweetener like stevia. Or cold brew some hazelnut coffee and use it for your iced coffee — you probably won’t need any sweetener.
Important Tips:
After brewing and drinking cold brew coffee for years, here’s what we’ve learned:
You can buy a cold brew system ready to go, but for a fraction of the cost, I initially bought several glass juice containers (two quart) from Walmart and a large plastic funnel — less than $10. Currently I use a large stainless steel stock pot from a beer brewing website and it makes enough cold brew concentrate to last us about four weeks.
I have made up to three gallons of cold brew at one time with no loss of quality, so I can confidently say that the one cup of coffee to two cups of water is a good ratio no matter what volume you brew.
You can use something as simple as paper towel to act as a filter (in your plastic funnel), but I was always worried about the chemicals in the paper towel leaching into my coffee. Currently I use an organic muslin bag and it works great. There are also providers online who sell hemp bags designed for home-making almond milk that would work just as well.
Brew your coffee on the countertop but refrigerate it after brewing. I’ve had coffee in my fridge for up to six weeks with no loss of flavor or quality.
Buy a manual grain mill and grind your coffee by hand to the texture you desire. If the electricity ever quits for an extended time period, you can still brew coffee.
Cold brew takes a little effort but will return much pleasure every time you take that first sip. Enjoy your coffee . . . living on the patio.
Please Leave a Comment: Cold Brew Coffee
Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. What’s your ratio of cold brew concentrate to water? Did you make the iced coffee? Was it good? Please share and post a photo of your brew set-up.
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There’s something about a spoonful of thick, rich, and creamy chocolate ice cream melting in your mouth as you sit in bliss because you just made homemade chocolate ice cream with a hand mixer and it was just stupid easy. And now you have promised yourself you will never buy store-bought ice cream again when you can make homemade chocolate ice cream that’s as good as this. Yup!
Place unsweetened dark cocoa powder in a separate bowl and mix with a small amount of heavy cream to dissolve into a creamy sauce.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the cold cream on high speed until firm peaks form.
Turn off the machine and pour the condensed milk into the whipped cream.
Turn the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is thick and stiff peaks. Turn off the machine and stir in vanilla extract and the cocoa mixture. Mix on high until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Chocolate Ice Cream with Air-tight Sealable Container
Please Leave a Comment: Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
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What a fun meal to enjoy on the patio — fish tacos. Unless the snow in your locale is blowing sideways, fish tacos are an outdoor “fun food” pretty much year-round.
Let’s Talk Fish
Many people use Cod and I have in the past as well. Sometimes it is hard to find or too expensive depending on the season. Lately, I have been using Tilapia from Sam’s Club — very economical in these times. I slice the fillets into finger size pieces — it works great! But, of course, use whatever fish your appetite demands.
Batter Your Fish
We like our fish for tacos battered and deep fried. Yes, perhaps not too heart-healthy but fish tacos once a month on the patio probably won’t cause too much damage. You’ll find our batter recipe below. It’s basic so if you want to add some garlic powder, onion powder, or any other seasonings that sound tasty to you go right ahead.
Fish Tacos Chipotle Sauce
Having spent almost three decades in Colorado, our palette skews toward the spicy side. The chipotle sauce recipe below is a must for us — fish tacos are just naked without it.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Remember to add any additional spices now. Maybe garlic and/or onion powder and some fresh ground pepper, but it’s not necessary.
Now add the beer a bit at a time while you are mixing the batter to get a consistency like a thick pancake batter. Stop when you get the right thickness or add a bit more beer if necessary. Use a hand whisk to get a smoother consistency.
Set aside for now.
Note 1: I am not a “fancy” beer drinker. I like creamy beer, maybe unfiltered wheat beer from a local microbrew. I like beer with a “hint” of sweet. And I like my beer strong. So I normally buy Steel Reserve. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and 8.1% alcohol per volume. It checks all of my boxes since I drink whatever I don’t need for the batter recipe.
Note 2: If you have a lot of fish or want to make some onion rings to go with your fish tacos double the recipe.
Chipotle Sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lime juice from bottled juice of from one fresh lime
2-3 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, roughy chopped, plus 1-2 tsp adobo sauce. Use less depending on your interest/tolerance for spicy hot.
1-2 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
Do this:
In a blender, or preferably using an immersion blender, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth and creamy.
Set aside for now.
Other Ingredients
Get the fish you want — cod, tilapia or other white, firm fillets
2-3 ripe avocados
Corn tortillas — we like the white over the yellow but get what you like.
Vegetable oil such as Canola
Make Your Fish Tacos Happen
Remove your fish from the wrapper or package and blot it dry with paper towels. Then slice your fish into finger sized strips.
Open one or two of the avocados and cut the halves into thick slices.
Frying the Fish
OK, let me say that I only use cast iron pans. That’s all I have. They are like a great pick-up truck that will do anything for you under the most extreme conditions and usually get you out of a hole if you make a mistake.
For frying the fish I use a cast iron dutch oven. It’s deep to protect you from spattering oil and it holds the heat well while frying. Pour about one to two inches of oil into the dutch oven and heat the oil with medium-high heat until the oil shimmers but not smoking. When the oil is ready it’s time to cook the fish.
Using a pair of tongs, grab a piece of fish and dunk it in the batter to completely coat the fish. Set it into the hot oil — no splashing! Generally I can fry three to four pieces of fish at one time. Keep an eye on your fish because it will cook fast and the batter will burn if you’re not careful. When you see the batter on the edge of the fish browning, turn the fish over with the tongs. When the fish is throughly browned and crispy on both sides, remove it from the oil and place it on a cookie sheet or cooling rack with paper towel to soak up any extra oil. You can have your oven on a low temp and keep the cooked fish warm in the oven to prevent it from cooling until you’re ready to build your tacos.
Drink the extra beer not used for the batter while you’re frying the fish.
Heating the Tortillas
I use a Lodge griddle that is designed to fit over two like-sized burners. It works perfect for toasting three corn tortillas at the same time. See what I’m talking about here: Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill / Griddle. But, use whatever pan you have or are accustomed to.
Here’s another handy tool that’s going to make your fish tacos easier to build and look good if you happen to be entertaining. Use it on one side and stuff two tacos. Flip it over if your stuffing three tacos. Check these taco holders out on Amazon.
Stainless steel taco holder
Heat your corn tortillas so they are warm but still pliable. Press them down into your taco holders so you have an equal amount of tortilla on each side.
Let the stuffing begin!
Now, place two or three slices of avocado in the tortilla — press them down if need be. Then, place one or two strips of fried fish on top of the avocado. Finish it off with a generous coating of chipotle sauce. When all of your tacos are stuffed it’s time to eat!
A nice compliment to your tacos is homemade onion rings. Slice a yellow or sweet onion into rigs about 1/4″ thick and separate the rings. Dunk them in the batter and coat just like the fish. Set them in the oil (add more oil if need be and let it come back up to the correct heat). Same as the fish — watch them so they don’t burn. Flip them over and brown the other side. Have another pan or sheet lined with paper towel and place the cooked onion rings there. Lightly salt the rings.
That’s it! Head out to the patio and enjoy your feast. And remember to grab another cold beer on your way out.
Please Leave a Comment: Fish Tacos
Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. What do you stuff your tacos with in addition to the fish? Do you use the taco holders? What topping did you use? Please share a photo of your fish tacos.
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