Sub the cod for hearts of palm
When following Lucy's Baja Fish Tacos recipe you can replace the cod with these homemade plant-based fish sticks.
We've also included a plant-based tartar sauce recipe as an optional sub for the baja sauce.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BEER BATTER
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup beer
FOR THE HEARTS OF PALM "FISH"
1 can Hearts of Palm, drained and broken into large pieces
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried crumbled nori
1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
PLANT-BASED TARTAR SAUCE
½ cup of vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped pickles or sweet relish
a pinch of salt (less than ¼ teaspoon)
a pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped dill
Time
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves
2
Storage
Best eaten fresh otherwise the "fish" sticks can become soggy
METHOD
Combine. Stir together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chopped pickles (or relish), salt, pepper and dill and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse all the fish stick ingredients until combined, (for about 1 minute) and you can easily stick it together and press into a firm shape. You want to still have some flakiness to it so be careful not to mix it too much that it becomes mushy. There should still be large chunks.
Shape. Fashion the hearts of palm mixture into 8-10 fish sticks (roughly 2 tablespoons per stick) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, squeezing out excess water as you do so. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Mix. The flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gradually add the beer, whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
Heat. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of ½ inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F, or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when dipped into the oil.
Coat and fry. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip the "fish" strips in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Let the excess batter drip off, then fry the sticks in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Top. Smear each tortilla with a generous amount of the chipotle or tartar sauce, then top with the cabbage slaw. Lay one piece of "fish" inside each tortilla and serve with lime wedges.
Notes from Sam: I like to double the ingredients quantity for the plant-based "fish". There's no need to adjust the batter quantity though, there is ample! In fact if you're not doubling your "fish" ingredients, I'd consider halving the batter quantity.
If using the chipotle sauce from Lucy's recipe; 3 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons sauce will give you a spicy sauce. Use less for a milder sauce. You can freeze any leftover chipotle peppers from the can. In Whistler, Lucy buys Old El Paso Chopped Green Chilies in a can.
Fish Tacos.mp4
We recommend a vegan mayonnaise such as Hellman's Vegan Dressing and Sandwich Spread or Follow Your Heart Vegenaise branded as Earth Island Vegenaise here in Canada.
You could also make your own flour or corn tortillas. Click here for our favourite recipes.
Flourist is a Vancouver Mill & Bakery that delivers to North Shore, Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver. All their grains are sourced from Canadian growers in addition to some wholegrains and beans!
Look for BC grown produce in supermarkets or support your local Farmers' Market or CSA program.
Buy your beer from a local craft brewery such as Coast Mountain Brewing or Whistler Brewing, if you're a Whistler local.
You can also look at We Heart Local BC for updates each month as to what's in season.
Another great way to ensure you're using seasonal produce is to subscribe to a CSA Box with a local farm and structure your meals around the seasonal produce you've received that week!
*Adapted from My Darling Vegan's Beer Battered Vegan Fish Sticks and Jessica In The Kitchen's Vegan Fish Sticks