Spicy Southern Fish Fry

Jalapeño Hush Puppies with Chipotle Tartar Sauce

Hushpuppies are finger-shaped dumplings of cornmeal that are deep-fried and traditionally served with fried catfish. Also know as corn dodgers, they are especially popular throughout the South. There are several interesting stories of the origins of hushpuppies:

The oldest story is that hushpuppies originated in the settlement of Nouvell Orleans (later called New Orleans, Louisiana), shortly after 1727. They were created by a group of Ursuline nuns who had come from France. The nuns converted cornmeal into a delicious food that they named croquettes de maise. The making of these croquettes spread rapidly through the southern states.

An African cook in Atlanta is said to have given the name hushpuppy to this food. When frying a batch of catfish and croquettes, a nearby puppy began to howl. To keep the puppy quiet, she gave it a plateful of the croquettes and said, "hush, puppy." Since the name was cut, it stuck. This same story is also attributed to a Creole cook.

Hunters and trappers could be on the trail for days at a time. At suppertime the hunting dogs would get hungry, so the hunters would mix a batter out of cornmeal or flour and cook it in grease on the campfire. Then they would throw the fried dough to the pups, telling them to be quiet, shut up, or "hush."

Confederate soldiers would sit beside a campfire preparing their meals. If they detected Yankee soldiers approaching, they would toss their yapping dogs some of the fried cornmeal cakes with the command "Hush, puppies!"

In the South, the Salamander was often known as a "water dog" or "water puppy." These were deep-fried with cornmeal and formed into sticks. It is said they were called hushpuppies because eating such lowly food was not something a southern wife would want known to her neighbors

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/Hushpuppies.htm

6 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 ½ cups self-rising cornmeal
½ cup self-rising flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cornichons, gherkins or dill pickles
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies (adobo)

Using a deep pot, preheat oil for frying to 350 degrees F.

Using a mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the onion and jalapeño. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop the batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, into the oil. Dip the spoon in a glass of water after each hush puppy is dropped in the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning the hush puppies during the cooking process. Place cooked puppies onto paper towel lined plate.

To make the tartar sauce combine mayo, capers, pickle, lime juice and chilies.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Ensenada, Mexico claims to be the birth place of the fish taco, and they are advertised at restaurants throughout the city where many claim that their taco is the original. The best place to sample them is at any of the small food stands that line the streets around the Mercado Negro, Ensenada’s incredible fish market. The fish tacos served are simply small pieces of batter-coated, fried fish in a hot corn or wheat tortilla.

People in the coastal areas of Mexico have been eating fish tacos for a long time. The history of fish tacos could seemly go back thousands of years to when indigenous North American peoples first wrapped the plentiful offshore catch into stone-ground-corn tortillas. The people of Ensenada say their port town is the fish taco's true home, dating at least from the opening of the Ensenada mercado, in 1958.

The people of San Diego, California, have been hooked on fish tacos since 1983. In fact, fish tacos are the fast-food signature dish of San Diego: they're cheap to buy and fast to make. Fish tacos were popularized in the United States by Ralph Rubio, who first tasted them while on spring break in Baja, Mexico. According to the story he tells, there was one Baja vendor he especially liked, a man named Carlos, who ran a hole-in-the-wall taco stand with a 10-foot counter and a few stools. Carlos fried fish to order and put it on a warm tortilla. Customers added their own condiments. Rubio tried to persuade Carlos to move to San Diego, but Carlos was happy where he was and would not budge. He did agree, however, to share his recipe, which Rubio scrawled on a piece of paper pulled from his wallet. Several years later, Rubio opened his own restaurant in San Diego, called Rubio's - Home of the Fish Taco. Today, fish tacos are legendary and are sole throughout San Diego and the Southwest.

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Tortilla_Taco_history.htm

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer

½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
½ medium head cabbage, finely shredded

To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).

To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fish-Tacos/Detail.aspx

Fresh Hand Cut French Fries

5 lbs russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¼ in strips
1 tbs lime juice
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Salt

After cutting potatoes into strips, let soak in cold water and lime juice for approximately 10 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place vegetable oil into a large pot or fryer and heat to 360 degrees. Be sure to heat to a proper temperature because placing the raw vegetables into cold oil will cause them to absorb more of the oil and become more dense. Remove soaking potatoes and spin or place on paper towels to let excess water drain off. Once oil has reached temperature, place raw potatoes into oil in manageable batches and let cook for 3 ½ to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Place cooked potatoes onto a paper towel lined dish to drain excess oil. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then dust with salt to taste.

If preparing in the oven, place water soaked potatoes onto baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.