just the simply great things, please

Our relationship with the poet Billy Collins began with a pot of tea, a sunny dock, and a copy of Sailing Alone Around the Room. I was hooked. Stephen and I started a fiendish habit of reading our favorite poems aloud, and laughing, over and over and over again. For the year of our relationship that Stephen and I lived in separate cities, a copy of Questions about Angels or Nine Horses was often our solo-solace; that and a deep glass of wine. It is truly a rare gem to find poetry that makes me smirk, grin, and relate to it on the first read. Oh dear Billy. We are so glad you took a pen to paper.
This morning as I poured my mug of tea and sat to write this post, a piece of his poem Purity flowed through my mind.

This is how I go about it: I take a fresh pot of tea into my study and close the door.
Then I remove my clothes and leave them in a pile
as if I had melted to death and my legacy consisted of only
a white shirt, a pair of pants and a pot of cold tea.

I am not going to give away the rest, but it is worth your while to meander to your local book seller and discover it for yourself.
So many of my absolute favorite things are the simple, small, nearly insignificant details in a passing day. The chip in the rim of my mug, scent of blooming jasmine on Myrtle's walks, the way our elderly neighbor sits on his porch with his patient dog: I am impressed with life and equally impressed with simple good food. Quality and simplicity are a healthy marriage; they make each other better.

My favorite meals most commonly consist of a few ripe ingredients that comfortably compliment one another. Fortunately, this week I received a few brilliant red tomatoes from a friend's visit to Florida. I set out on a salsa and ultimately made fish tacos to wrap around it.
The first time I tasted a fish taco was in Mission Beach, San Diego. Sure, the shredded lettuce, spicy aioli and battered lobster were lovely, but I gave a lot of the credit to the fact that I was looking at the Pacific Ocean and had just roller skated down the Strand. (yes, I said roller-SKATED. I actually still have skates.) Maybe the view did make those tacos better, but we have no Pacific Ocean near our house and fish tacos still earn my humble bow.

There are many ways to fry a fish; this is my tried and true simply perfect beer battered version. Frying may seem a bit scary, but with a few tricks up your sleeve it does not need to be. Oil temperature and type of batter are the two main points to understand. If your oil temperature is correct, you will end up with crisp golden fish. I mentioned awhile back that I strongly recommend a deep-fry thermometer; especially if you are leery of frying. Prepare your assembly line, and batter the fish while the oil is heating. Make certain to wait until the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not hot enough, the fish will stick to the bottom of the pot and the pieces will be soggy instead of crisp. Most folks suggest heating the oil to 350 degrees. For fish I feel that it can be between 290 and 350.
When you fry something like fish or meat that is inherently wet, always start with a dry coat. Rub the meat or fish with flour, then move into your wet batter, and then back into a dry coat, and then fry.  Dry-wet-dry is the tastiest way to fry. 
All a fish taco needs in my opinion is a slice of avocado, a touch of salsa and a warm tortilla. In February, when most tomatoes are more pink than red, I will instead make an Asian pear salsa to serve with the fish. A summer variation from the staple tomato, is a peach salsa with oodles of lime and cilantro.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos serves 4
This meal is complete with just salsa, avocado, and a tortilla. Of course a dollop of sour cream or a splash of Chipotle hot sauce never hurts.

1 1/2 pounds grouper, mahi, snapper (whatever is freshest), skinned and cut into 1 inch thick strips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 Pabst, Becks, or Corona
canola oil for frying (depending on what size pot you use you will need about 2 cups oil)

1. In one shallow bowl combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornmeal. In another shallow bowl put 1 cup flour
2. In medium size mixing bowl put 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper and spices
3. Pour beer into dry mixture in medium mixing bowl while stirring to combine. Mixture should be about the thickness of melted ice cream or thin pancake batter
4.  Heat about 1 inch of oil to about 350 degrees in a deep wide pot
5. Coat a piece of fish with flour/cornmeal mixture. Then dunk in beer batter. Then roll in flour. Repeat with remaining fish
6. When oil is ready, carefully place a few pieces of fish in pot. Do not crowd the pot. My soup pot can only handle 4 pieces at a time
7. Fry for about 2 minutes and then flip pieces. After 4-5 total minutes, pull one piece from the pot and check for flakiness
8. Wait for oil to reheat in between batches of fish. enjoy. enjoy. enjoy.

Fresh Tomato Salsa makes 2 cups

2 large ripe tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, washed and minced
1 lime
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of sea salt

1. Dice tomatoes. Stir together with cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, and garlic. I like a bit of lime zest as well, but that is up to you.
2. Salt to taste. enjoy

Comments

[Emily]

Mmmmmmmmm! I adore fish tacos! Thanks for the recipe! I might have to give this a go sometime soon. My best, and first, fish taco was consumed (inhaled, but let's not focus on those sorts of indelicacies) in Moab, UT. I'd been back packing for weeks and weeks and was dirtier than I'd ever been. I'd just "showered" in the Colorado River and simply could not, could NOT, face the standard fair of tuna and pita again. We hit the town and smelled our way to the world's best (besides yours, of course) fish tacos! I think you and your roller-skates still win, though. :)