On Fridays, chef Tyler Florence hosts Twitterlicious, a cooking lesson conducted over Twitter (@TylerFlorence). Each week, he posts a poll on his website with 5 different recipe choices for the upcoming Twitterlicious. Whatever dish gets the most votes, he “cooks” while tweeting instructions on his progress in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, he made these incredible Baja Fish Tacos for Twitterlicious.

I’m a big fish taco fan and have already posted about our favourite fish taco recipe. However after making these Baja Fish Tacos, me, Carlo, and our friend Mike, who came over for dinner, all agreed that these fish tacos are way better. It is probably the fried fish, which creates a nice crunchy base for all of the flavours from the spicy chipotle mayo and mango-radish salsa.

We normally never fry things at home because hot oil frightens me since I’m a klutz and burn myself all the time, but I would gladly risk a few burns to make these tacos again. Tyler Florence’s fish taco recipe makes enough food for 4 people at $2.81 per serving.

Baja Fish Tacos
1 pound skinless and boned Mahi Mahi, cod, or other firm white fish (I used Pacific cod)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
8 soft flour tortillas
1/4 head of savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Cut the fish into 1 ounce strips. Create a breading station made up of bowls of flour, beaten egg, and seasoned panko bread crumbs. Using the wet hand-dry hand technique, dredge each piece of fish in the flour, then the egg, and finally cover them with panko.

Once all the fish is breaded, deep fry the fish in small batches in hot oil, around 375 degrees F. When I put the fish in, I was surprised how fast the first batch cooked and wasn’t really prepared. So be aware of how fast the frying process is since once the breading reaches a nice brown colour, the fish is cooked on the inside.

Drain the cooked fish on paper towels and season with salt. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve the tacos.

Mango-Radish Salsa
1 lime
1 mango, diced
2 to 3 red radishes, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the diced mango, radish, red onion, and squeeze the lime over the mixture. Season with chili powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Add the chopped cilantro and place in the fridge until everything else is ready.

Chipotle Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make this spicy sauce for the tacos, whiz the canned chipotle in a food processor until it is all chopped up. Add the sour cream, mayo, adobo sauce, and lemon juice and whiz further until everything is mixed together and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, and place the sauce in the fridge until you serve the tacos.

To plate the fish tacos, take a toasted tortilla and fill with a few slices of fried fish. Top with the chipotle mayo, mango-radish salsa, shredded cabbage, and chopped cilantro, and then squeeze a wedge of lime over the taco.

I served the Baja Fish Tacos with some really easy and fast to make Mexican Slaw. This side dish recipe serves 4 people at 58 cents each.

Mexican Slaw
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chile
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head green or red cabbage
1 red bell pepper
2 medium carrots, grated
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup minced cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whiz together the mustard, lime juice, garlic, and chile in a food processor, and slowly add the oil. Mix the cabbage, pepper, carrots, and green onions, and toss everything with the dressing. Add the chopped cilantro and season to taste.