Something fishy going on with pescadillas – fried tuna tacos (video)


Maybe you don’t want hotdogs and hamburgers and micheladas and carne asada and elotes on July 4. It’s OK. We’re here to help with a short video on How to Make Mexican Pescadillas (or Fried Tuna Tacos) from Spicie Foodie.

Here’s their recipe:

A step-by-step recipe guide for making these crispy savoury tuna tacos. They are perfect as an appetiser or a small and light meal for two.
Author: SpicieFoodie.com & Nancy Lopez-McHugh
Recipe type: Appetiser, lunch, dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 9 to 10
Ingredients:
  • one large can of tuna in water, drained
  • a small piece of white onion, roughly chopped into small pieces (amount is to taste)
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly minced
  • 2 Serrano chiles, roughly chopped (add less and remove the seeds and veins for a milder version)
  • 1 Roma tomato, chopped into small pieces
  • a large pinch of fine sea salt
  • a pinch of ground black pepper, optional
  • 9 to 10 corn tortillas, slightly warm*
  • 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
  • ½ cup of vegetable oil for frying
Condiments:
  • green salsa or salsa verde (try this recipe or this one) or salsa of choice
  • slices of purple onion, optional
  • crema fresca or sour cream
  • lime wedges
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a small pan, and once hot add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until it softens up. Next add the chilies and sauté for another few minutes before adding the garlic and the tomatoes, sauté for five minutes before adding the drained tuna. Mix the tuna into the vegetables, sprinkle in the salt and pepper and give the ingredients a good stir. Allow to cook for another 8 minutes or until nearly all off the liquid has been absorbed or that tomatoes are broken down a bit. Turn off heat and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pan or cast iron pan. While the oil is heating we can get the pescadillas assembled. Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen cloth and microwave just for a couple of seconds — the intention is to warm the tortillas up so that they become soft and bendable. (Do not skip this step because if you do the tortillas will break when you try to assemble the pescadillas.) Take one warm corn tortilla then place about one tablespoon of the tuna mixture and place it in the bottom half of the tortilla. Gently fold it in half, creating a pocket or half moon. Weave a toothpick through the tortilla to hold the shape. Set aside and continue to assemble more pescadillas or until all of the filling has been used up.
  3. Check on the oil and it will be ready or hot enough once it reaches a temperature of 370°F, or if you don’t have a thermometer you can stick a wooden spoon into the pan and once you can see bubbles forming around the submerged spoon area, then the oil is ready to go. Gently place the pescadillas in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and place on top of a place lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil. It is important not to crowd the pescadillas in the frying pan, work in batches and be careful not to burn yourself.
  4. Serve topped with onion, some extra jalapeños on the side, lime wedges and some salsa verde and sour cream on the side. Enjoy!