Gridiron Grub: Fish Tacos and Chips

To be honest, I don’t have much of a creative process. In fact it is more like a train of thought that often goes completely off the rails. To give you an idea, let me illustrate how I came up with what I wanted to try for this week’s Gridiron Grub post:

Hmmm, I have to write another Gridiron Grub post————Crap, what am I going to write about————Can I do something about the  NFL game that was in London between San Francisco and Denver?————Man do they both stink! I can see why UK would rather watch soccer————Do I know  anything about British Food?————Yorkshire pudding, fish & chips, Spotted Dick————Ha! Spotted Dick————Am I 12 yrs old?————Man, this is tough,  I want  a taco————(15 minutes later)————Fish Tacos and Chips!!

So here you go, for your next football gathering, whether in the US or across the pond, try Fish: Halibut tacos with Pickled Cabbage-Jalapeno Slaw and Crema and Chips: Salted Lime Jicama chips.

The Fish: I kept this fish simple and decided I didn’t want to batter and fry nor bake it. A few teaspoons of olive oil along with the juice of lime and lemon made a quick marinade before broiling the fish for a few minutes and flaking it to fill homemade tortillas that were warmed quickly on the stovetop.

The Slaw: I needed a topping for my tacos, although I didn’t make this myself. Instead, I used what was left of a jar canned by a friend. Here’s his recipe: 5 cups jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings ,2 pounds shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup pickling salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 4 teaspoons mustard seeds, 6 garlic cloves, mince.

Canning Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, toss the cabbage and jalapenos with pickling salt. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 10-12 hours. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar vinegar. Bring to a boil, then let cool. Rinse cabbage mixture and drain. Toss with pepper flakes, mustard seeds and garlic. Pack the cabbage mixture loosely into pint jars. Pour vinegar mixture over the cabbage and jalapenos. Close jars with hot two-piece caps. Process jars for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath. Allow to cool. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place at least 3 weeks before eating.

Crema: 1 cup heavy cream,1 tablespoon buttermilk, 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, a handful of parsley, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Put the  cream in a  microwave-safe glass jar. Microwave for about 30 to 40 seconds. Add the buttermilk, close the jar, and store in a warm place for 24 hours. The cream will have a  yogurt-like consistency. Add the chipotle chile, parsley and salt before pulsing in a food processor until smooth. Let it chill before slathering.

Salted Lime Jicama Chips: Bored with regular potato, I thought I would try jicama chips. Jicama is almost a cross between a potato and pear and the texture has been described as similar to a water chestnut. Peel and rinse the jicama. Slice thin, with a mandolin or knife, and then blot excess moisture. With some oil in a cast iron skillet, I heated them until they began to crisp and brown around the edges before removing them to drain on a cooling rack set over paper towels. While still warm, sprinkle with some salt and a squeeze of lime.

Not exactly your typical fish and chips but still delicious and great to make for a crowd  to use their hands and enjoy! Goes perfectly with a stout. I went with Mexican Mole Stout from a Pittsburgh-based brewery named Church Brew Works. Chocolaty and rich with a kick of spice, at least this meal will be more exciting than some of the games out there this week.

Photo: The Church of Baseball Blog, http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmichaelmayer/, wikimedia commons

Editors’ Note: This post has been updated thanks to Dan’s quick reminder.