Disclosure: This post is sponsored by De La Viuda Hot Sauce. All opinions are my own.
Jump to RecipeMany years ago, I visited Ciudad del Carmen in Mexico. It’s a charming, small-town that has managed to avoid the touristy excesses of its sister cities on the Yucatan peninsula.
I met my friend, Carlos, who plays in a rock band, at the tiny airport and proceeded to his Jeep that was parked outside. After loading my bags in the back, Carlos turned to me and asked, “Tienes hambre?’
Luckily, I retained some of my high school Spanish and was able to let him know that I was hungry.
“Good,” he said. “I’ll take you to one of my favorite places.”
Carlos likes to switch between English and Spanish to either help me improve my language skills or to confuse me. I think it’s a little of both.
We drove a few miles through streets dotted with local shops and brightly colored houses until we reached an alleyway. Carlos parked the Jeep and motioned for me to follow him.
As we walked through the alley, the scent of grilled meats and chiles filled the air. I was drawn to it like a weary sailor being seduced by a sirens’ song.
Carlos broke the trance by diverting my attention to a short, stout man with a mop of gray hair flipping chickens on a grille.
“Meet my Tio,” Carlos said. “He’s the best cook in Ciudad del Carmen.”
I extended my hand to shake, but he dodged it and went in for the hug. He told me his name (Alberto) and started saying a string of Spanish words that my high school teacher failed to teach me. Carlos realized I was in over my head and served as our translator.
Over the next two hours, Carlos, Tio Alberto, and I dined on fluffy tortillas, frijoles, chiles, shark tacos, and the best grilled chicken I ever tasted.
Since then, I have traveled to Mexico several times and one of the best things about the country, besides the people, is the food.
I’ve tried cuisines from the different regions and it is always fresh and flavorful.
De La Viuda Catfish Tacos Recipe
It’s been a while since I’ve traveled to Mexico, so I decided to create my own version of one of my favorite Mexican foods – tacos – using De La Viuda Hot Sauce.
I first had fish tacos while visiting Puerto Vallarta. I enjoyed the crispy seasoned fish combined with the crunchy cabbage.
These tacos were so tasty that I decided to bring back a few memories by creating my own fish tacos. For this recipe, I used catfish to pay homage to my Texas and Louisiana heritage.
De La Viuda Catfish Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 2 Mixing Spoons
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 2 Skillets
- 1 Gallon Storage Bag
Ingredients
- 1.5 Pounds of Catfish Fillets
- 16 Corn Tortillas
- 2 Large Limes
- 1 Bunch of Cilantro
- 1/2 Head of Red Cabbage
- 1/2 Large Red Onion
- 1 Mango
- 1 Whole Jalapeno Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons of Garlic Powder
- 3 Tablespoons of Cumin
- 3 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Red Pepper
- De La Viuda Original Hot Sauce
- De La Viuda Green Hot Sauce
- 2 Cups of Canola Oil
- 2 Cups of Corn Meal
Instructions
- Slice catfish fillets into 1″ strips and place in mixing bowl
- Add juice from one lime and hot sauce and mix thoroughly with a spoon
- Add garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and red pepper and mix thoroughly with a spoon
- Set aside and let marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Cut 1/2 head of red cabbage into thin slices and add to mixing bowl
- Dice 1/2 of red onion and add to bowl
- Dice jalapeno pepper and add to bowl
- Dice 5 sprigs of cilantro and add to bowl
- Add juice from 1 lime and 4 tablespoons of De La Viuda Green Hot Sauce and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Place in refrigerator to chill.
- Add 2 cups of cornmeal to a 1-gallon storage bag.
- Add catfish and shake to coat
- Heat oil in a skillet
- Add fish a cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes (2 minutes on each side)
- Remove fish from skillet and drain on paper towel
- Dice mango and set aside
- Heat corn tortillas on a hot skillet or griddle for about 30 seconds per side
- Remove from skillet and place two tortillas per taco on a plate
- Add the taco fillings to the tortillas in layers: about 2 tablespoons of cabbage mixture, 3 pieces of mango, 2 pieces of fish
- Top with De La Viuda Original Hot Sauce to taste
- Makes about 8 tacos