Crispy Fish Tacos With Red Cabbage Slaw

Make the slaw and crema: Zest both limes, then slice each in half. In a medium bowl, add the lime zest and lime juice from 1 1/2 of the limes, the honey, oil, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the cabbage, radishes, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper. Toss to combine. Set aside. To make the crema, stir together the sour cream, the juice from the remaining lime half, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. If the crema seems too thick, you can always thin it with a little milk or additional lime juice. Set it aside.

Prepare to fry: Line a platter with paper towels to drain the oil from the fish after you fry it.

Prepare the fish and breading: Zest the lime onto a medium plate. Add the flour, cornmeal, paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Set it aside. On another medium plate, add the milk, and juice from half of the lime. The milk will thicken and look slightly curdled. Cut the fillets on the bias (a diagonal cut) into strips about 1-inch thick, season them with the juice from the remaining lime half, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil: In a large Dutch oven, add the oil. Heat it to 360°F. It will take about 15 minutes for the oil to come to temp. If you don’t have a thermometer to test the temperature, sprinkle a little of the breading into the oil. If it sizzles and pops, it’s ready.

Bread the fish: While you’re waiting for the oil to come up to temperature, dip the fish in the milk. Then, coat it in the flour, spice, and cornmeal mixture. Bread all of the fish before you begin to fry it.

Fry the fish: Once all the fish strips are breaded, gently place them 1 piece at a time in the hot oil. Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you can probably fry 4 to 6 pieces at a time. Fry the fish in batches so you don’t bring down the temperature of the oil too much. Cook on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the coating is a deep amber brown. Remove from the oil and drain on the prepared paper towels.

Serve for the self-assembly: Transfer the fish to a platter, serve alongside tortillas, slaw, and crema. Let everyone assemble their own tacos. Start with a little slaw, add a piece of fish, and drizzle with the crema.