Sparkling City by the Sea and Fish Tacos!

I am actually on an excursion to my beautiful home town of Corpus Christi, Texas! This fantastic city, known as "The Sparkling City by the Sea," has a lot to offer! Besides stellar sailing, fishing, and bird watching, it is minutes from the stunning Padre Island National Seashore, which is the largest stretch of undeveloped barrier island beach in the world! If that isn't enough, it is home to the Texas State Aquarium, the USS Lexington, the Corpus Christi Marina, the Corpus Christi Hooks (minor league team for the Houston Astros), and the Corpus Christi IceRays, just to name a few! 

But, did I mention the delicious, super fresh seafood? And, with it's close proximity to Mexico, the fantastic Mexican food? Well, I'll fill you in on my trip when I get back! Until then, why don't you try this authentic and excellent recipe for "Fish Tacos!"

Fish Tacos

Makes 8 tacos, serving 4

Ingredients:

For the batter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground arbol chile or cayenne pepper

1 cup (not the whole bottle) beer, preferably dark, at room temperature

For the creamy salsa

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup plain yogurt

For the fish

3/4 pound red snapper, sea bass fillets, or even cod, skinned and deboned, cut into 8 strips, each 3-4" long and 3/4" wide

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground arbol chile or cayenne pepper

Canola oil for frying

For the tacos

8 white corn tortillas, about 6" diameter (or flour tortillas, if you must...)

Salsa Mexicana

1/2 head of cabbage, finely shredded

8 lime quarters

Your favorite bottled hot sauce

Directions:

For the batter

In bowl, stir together the flour, garlic salt, and ground chile. Pour in the beer, whisking to make a smooth batter. Cover and let stand for up to 1 hour.

For the creamy salsa

In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and yogurt until blended. Set aside.

For the fish

In a non-aluminum bowl, add the fish strips, lime juice, garlic salt, and ground chile, toss to mix. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Pour the oil to a depth of 1" into a deep, non-stick, frying pan and heat to 350 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer, approximately 5 minutes.

For the tortillas

While the fish marinates and the oil comes up to temperature, heat a comal, griddle, or heavy frying pan over medium heat. When hot, stack 2 or 3 tortillas on the pan and leave for a few seconds. Flip the tortillas, rotating them every second or so until they are hot. Wrap in a dry kitchen towel and repeat with the remaining tortillas. They should keep warm for 10 minutes. If they are to be held longer, wrap a damp towel around the dry towel and place in a 200 degree oven.

Back to the fish

Pat the fish strips dry with paper towels. One at a time, dip a strip into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off, and carefully slip into the hot oil. Do not allow the pieces to touch. Fry until the strips are crisp and golden, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain. When all are fried, transfer to a warmed serving plate.

Serving the tacos

Put the Salsa Mexicana, cabbage, limes, and creamy salsa in separate small bowls and set alongside the fish, tortillas, and hot sauce. To build the perfect taco, place a tortilla on your plate, top with a piece of fish, drizzle with the creamy salsa, top with some cabbage, Salsa Mexicana, hot sauce, and a squeeze of lime! Don't forget some icy cold cerveza to wash it all down!!!

Keep Austin Weird!

In honor of my recent Texas road-trip, I am going to share an excellent recipe for Texas sheet cake, specifically, "The Driskill's 1886 Room Chocolate Sheet Cake!" The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 in downtown Austin, as the showplace of cattle baron Jesse Driskill. In addition to being a legendary landmark of Texas hospitality, it is listed as a member of The Historic Hotels of America and Associated Luxury Hotels International. If you ever find yourself in Austin, staying at the Driskill will put you in the center of everything, including the Texas State Capital, the Austin Convention Center, Lady Bird Lake, The Long Center, Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater, as well as excellent shopping, dining, and convenient access to the colorful 6th Street Music Scene! 

Like Austin, known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," and whose motto is "Keep Austin Weird," Texas sheet cake is unique all it's own! You bake an incredibly moist cake in a sheet pan, and while it is still warm, you pour the warm icing over the cake! This cake is so good, it is a cherished recipe of the Heritage Society of Austin! In addition, because this cake is so moist, you can even make it up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated! It's perfect for any celebration!

The Driskill's 1886 Room Chocolate Sheet Cake

Makes one 9"x13" sheet cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

1 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup water

1/2 heaping cup cocoa (unsweetened)

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 heaping teaspoon baking soda

For the Icing

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 heaping tablespoons cocoa (unsweetened)

4 tablespoons half-and-half

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x13" cake pan.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the water and cocoa, stirring well.

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and stir them into the chocolate mixture.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and baking soda, add the chocolate mixture, and mix well.

Spoon the cake batter (or gently pour) into the prepared pan, and bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Icing

While the cake is baking, melt the butter with the cocoa in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the half-and-half, and heat it through. Mix in the remaining ingredients, blend well, and remove the pan from the heat.

Finishing the Cake

While the cake and icing are still warm, gently pour the icing over the cake. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Texas Home Cooking, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison.

NICE RACK!

After a recent trip to Memphis, known for their amazing ribs, I wanted to give it a try! Memphis-style ribs are dry rubbed, smoked, and served with optional sauce on the side, coleslaw, and beans. After decided on which recipe I wanted to try, I began the nasty business of trimming the slabs of ribs. First you lay the slabs, bone-side down, and cut along the line of fat at the base of the ribs. Next you flip the slabs over and cut off the flap of meat in the middle of the rack. Save those portions to grill alongside the ribs. Lastly, flip the slabs over, bone-side up, and remove the membrane from the ribs by sliding a knife under the membrane at the edges and using a paper towel, pull the membrane off. Gross! 

This recipe calls for the ribs to be smoked at medium-low heat, which is 300-350 degrees. My husband was watching me, making me nervous, telling me that the heat was too high! I could tell he thought everything I was doing was wrong. He's like the barbecue police! So, when I served these ribs, I was delighted to hear him say, "These are the best ribs I've ever had!" Success!!! They had the perfect smoke ring, the perfect bite, and a fantastic bark! 

Memphis-Style Spareribs

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Dry Rub

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground celery seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

For the Ribs

4 lbs (2 kg) trimmed pork spareribs, in slabs

3 or 4 handfuls hickory chips, soaked in water

Your favorite barbecue sauce, to serve on the side (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the dry rub ingredients in a bowl, and pat it all over the spareribs, rubbing it in well. Place the ribs in a dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before barbecuing.

Prepare a charcoal grill for barbecuing over medium-low heat (300-350 degrees).

Place an aluminum drip pan half full of water in the center of the fire bed. Sprinkle some of the wood chips on the coals. Place the ribs on the grill rack over the drip pan. 

Cover and grill and smoke the ribs, turning them every 30 minutes or so and adding more wood chips, more coals, and more water to the drip pan as needed.

Continue to cover, grill, and smoke the ribs until they are fork-tender, 2 1/2-3 hours. (I stacked and wrapped the ribs in foil for the last 1/2 hour.)

To serve, cut the slabs into separate ribs and pile on top of a platter and serve proudly!

Recipe from Essentials of Grilling, by Williams-Sonoma.