The Mexican Handroll

I hear you ask, what is a Mexican Handroll?

Is it a move similar to the Mexican Wave done at sporting events?

Is it a long forgotten 80’s break-dancing move?

Or is it some sort of new Internet term that was coined around the time of LOL, BRB and a million other Internet acronyms I don’t understand?

Well it’s none of them. It’s actually a dish I cooked last week inspired by the famous Baja Fish Taco and a Tempura Prawn Temaki Sushi or Handroll as Westerners call it.

There is a little Japanese Restaurant down the road from where I live that is one of my wife’s favorite places to get lunch from. The food is fresh, delicious and very reasonably priced. One of the things I like there the most is the Tempura Prawn Handroll.

If I could, I would eat ten of them every day… but then I am pretty sure after about a year I would balloon to 700 kg and my heart would probably explode!

If you know me at all I would say the same about Tacos.

I LOVE TACOS.

So when I was researching Fish Tacos last week while eating my Tempura Prawn Handroll for lunch I was struck by a moment of inspiration. Why not combine the two?

After a bit of fiddling around deciding which elements to combine and substitute, this is what emerged…

Bar Cod fried in a Chipotle infused Tempura Batter, with Guacamole, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa, Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Habanero Hot Sauce served on a Soft Flour Tortilla

Ingredients

2 Fillets of Bar Cod or any White Fish 

1 Bottle of Habanero Hot Sauce or any Hot Sauce that takes your fancy

A few Leaves of Green Oak Lettuce (depending on how many you are making!)

Vegetable Oil to Fry

Lime to squeeze over the top at the end

For the Chipotle Infused Tempura Batter

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Water

1 Egg Yolk

2 – 3 Tblsp Chipotle Chilli Powder

For the Jalapeno Mayonnaise

200 ml Olive Oil

1 Egg Yolk

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Lemon Cheek

1.5 Jalapeno Chilli Finely Diced

Salt

For the Guacamole

1.5 Avocado Halved with the flesh scooped out

Half a Jalapeno Finely Diced

1 Tomato Finely Diced

1 Clove of Garlic Finely Diced

2 Tblsp Coriander Finely Diced

1 Lime Cheek

Salt and Pepper

For the Tortilla

2 Cups Flour

4 or so Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

Salt

Water

For the Red Onion & Tomato Salsa

2 Tomatoes Cored & Seeded and Finely Diced

¼ Red Onion Finely Diced

A Handful of Coriander Finely Diced

1 Lime Cheek

1 Serious Splash Tabasco Sauce

Salt & Pepper

Method

To Make Tortilla

1. Add three cups of flour to food processor. Start to blend and drizzle in oil. Add water in slow, thin stream stopping to allow dough to clump. Don’t add too much or we will have glue here people!!!
2. When dough forms remove from processor and knead like a mad man for 10 minutes on a floured work surface.
3. Wrap in Cling film and rest for 30 min in cool dry place.

To Make Red Onion & Tomato Salsa

1. Grab 2 Tomatoes core & seed them. Lay skin out flat and cut into long strips then dice finely
2. Time to go to onion town. Peel and slice red onion, use about ¼, cut into fine dice.
3. Rip a generous handful of coriander and chop finely
4. Combine all in a bowl, squeeze some of the lime and add a good splash of Tabasco Sauce… season till your heart is content with salt and pepper.

For the Jalapeno Mayonnaise

1. In a bowl place 1 egg yolk and tablespoon of mustard. Use a whisk start to combine ingredients while adding the olive oil in a slow steady stream (you will need to add about 200 ml). Continue to do this until mayonnaise is thick, and then add squeeze of lemon and mix.
2. Add Jalapenos to Mayonnaise and with a hand blender mix until the Jalapeno has been pureed and combined into the Mayonnaise. Season to taste.

For the Guacamole

1. Grab a Mortar and Pestle
2. Add Avocado, Tomato, Garlic, Coriander, Jalapeno and a squeeze of Lime.
3. Mash together into a rough Paste and season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

For the Chipotle Infused Tempura Batter

1. In a Large bowl combine flour, water, Egg Yolk and Chipotle Chilli Powder.
2. Combine ingredients ensuring that the mixture is a little lumpy

To Cook the Tortillas

1. Set Oven to 50 degrees Celsius.
2. Divide into small ½ fist size portions and roll out with rolling pin on floured surface. Make sure you roll to the edge and ¼ turn to get a good circular shape…. Then again you may want them to have some personality so if they are not perfect, no big deal!
3. Roll dough out till it is approx 1 mm thin and repeat until you have enough for dinner… wrap and put excess dough in the fridge for another day
4. Heat a dry pan and cook on each side till brown spots appear.
5. Wrap in foil and reserve in oven

To Cook the Fish

1. Cut Fish into strips about 3 cm wide.
2. Place Fish into the batter and coat well.
3. Pour about 3 or 4 cm oil into Frypan or Saucepan and heat to 180 digress Celsius. If you don’t have a thermometer add so bread to the oil, if it browns in about 3 seconds you know it is about right.
4. Add the Fish in small batches and cook until Golden… should be max one and a half to Two minutes. Remove from heat and reserve on paper towels.

To Finish

1. Lay out the Tortillas and add a couple of spoons of Guacamole.
2. Top with some Lettuce, Fish, Salsa and some Jalapeno Mayonnaise.
3. Add a squeeze of Lime and Hot Sauce to taste.