Fish Tacos

Mexican food is gaining popularity all over the globe for many reasons. There is a wide range of Mexican food and you can taste combinations you might not have tried before. It smells wonderful, tastes great, and is also very healthy. Mexican food differs through the ages, depending on the ingredients available but the sheer volume of Mexican restaurants appearing all over the world prove what an exciting and enjoyable cuisine it is. Authentic Mexican recipes are easy to find but if you want to make your own Mexican food, you can be as creative as you like.In addition, Mexican food evolved more when the spanish colonists arrived, bringing new cookery ideas, methods, and different ingredients to incorporate in existing Mexican food dishes. Chili pepper has been a staple ingredient in Mexican recipes for thousands of years and is still very popular. Some Mexican dishes, especially those originating from the Yucatan and Vera Cruz, have a Caribbean influence. Other Mexican dishes, such as bolillo, have a French influence. Bolillo is a popular Mexican bread.

FISH TACOS

* 3 cloves garlic
* 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
* 2 limes, zested
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup tequila
* 1 pound tilapia fillets
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 8 (7-inch) round Flour Tortillas, recipe follows
* Crema, recipe follows
* Shredded red cabbage
* Lime wedges

Directions

Put the garlic, cilantro, lime zest, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small food processor bowl and pulse until combined, approximately 20 seconds. With the processor running, add the tequila. Put the tilapia fillets into a 1 gallon resealable bag, add the garlic mixture and move around to coat each fillet. Set aside at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat an electric nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F.

Brush the griddle with the olive oil. Cook the fillets until just cooked through and opaque about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cut into strips and serve in warm tortillas with crema, shredded red cabbage and lime wedges.
Flour Tortillas:

* 9 ounces all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for kneading and rolling
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup lard
* 1/2 cup cool water

Combine 9 ounces flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times.

Add the lard to the flour mixture in 4 to 5 chunks and pulse 10 to 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the processor running, add the water in a steady stream just until a ball of dough begins to form, approximately 30 seconds.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of flour on a clean surface. Remove the dough from the bowl of the processor and knead until well incorporated and less sticky. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Evenly divide the dough into 8 pieces and form them into round balls. Roll each ball into 7-inch rounds with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Keep all of the dough balls covered with a tea towel.

Heat an electric nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F.

Put the tortillas, 2 to 3 at a time, onto the griddle and cook until light golden, about 4 minutes per side. Can be held for up to 2 hours, at room temperature, wrapped in a barely damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Microwave for 1 minute in the damp tea towel to reheat.

Yield: 8 tortillas
Crema:

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon buttermilk
* 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Put the heavy cream in a 16-ounce microwave-safe glass jar. Microwave on high until the cream is just under 100 degrees F, about 30 to 40 seconds. Add the buttermilk, close the jar, and store in a warm place for 24 hours. The cream will have thickened to the consistency of thin yogurt.

Add the chipotle chile and salt and process with an immersion blender, in the jar, until smooth, approximately 20 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 1 cup