The Hirshon ULTIMATE Ensenada Baja Fish Tacos – Tacos de Pescada de Baja Ensenada

My glorious and gastronomically-superlative Citizens of TFD Nation – greetings to you all as I race to finish My final recipes before the turn of the New Year! Long-time readers are well aware that I – the Omnissiah of Omnivores, the Paladin of Palatal Perfection that ALONE is TFD! – has a single Achilles Heel when it comes to My choice of preferred proteins. Specifically, I am not a huge fan of fish. I’ll eat it, but it’s rare that it represents a first choice for Me – but today I will once again to seek to align the scales (#punintended) of Justice to post one piscine recipe that I do LOVE – I speak of nothing less than the fried fish apotheosis that are Ensenada Baja fish tacos!

I already posted the American version of this classic recipe, which reached its apotheosis in San Diego – but that was 9 years ago and it’s FINALLY time to give the mother recipe (and quite frankly, it is even better than the San Diego variant) – its due. Also, Ensenada Baja fish tacos hold a surprising Asian pedigree in its culinary DNA – it is in fact actually staring us straight in the face as we eat, and every time you enjoy the crunch of that fried fish, know that you are in fact enjoying…TEMPURA (or at least a variant of it!).

Ensenada Baja fish tacos are believed to have originated – unsurprisingly – in Ensenada, a coastal city in Baja California, Mexico, during the early 20th century. The dish was created by local fishermen who wanted a quick and easy way to cook and eat the catch of the day. The original version of Ensenada Baja fish tacos consisted of a deep-fried fish fillet served on a warm tortilla, topped with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and a creamy white sauce made from mayonnaise and sour cream. Over time, other ingredients such as guacamole, salsa, and hot sauce were added to the dish to enhance its flavor.

However, in the early 1900s, Japanese immigrants began settling in Baja California and brought with them their traditional method of deep-frying fish. According to some sources, the Japanese immigrants introduced the concept of tempura batter to the local Mexican fishermen. It is believed that the Mexican fishermen adapted this technique to their own cooking style and used it to make the deep-fried fish for their tacos. Additionally, some versions of the creamy white sauce used in Ensenada Baja fish tacos include ingredients that were introduced by Japanese immigrants, such as soy sauce and wasabi.

The popularity of Ensenada Baja fish tacos began to spread in the 1950s and 1960s, when Americans started visiting Baja California for vacations and discovered the delicious and affordable street food. From there, the dish made its way to other parts of Mexico and eventually to the United States. Today, Ensenada Baja fish tacos can be found in many Mexican and seafood restaurants around the world, and they remain a beloved and iconic dish of Baja California cuisine.

As further elucidated in this well-researched (and lightly excerpted) article from mexiconewsdaily.com:

In 1974, a San Diego State student named Raph Rubio took a seasonal break from his studies in psychology and Spanish to accompany friends on a Spring Break trip across the border to San Felipe. The highlight of the trip — at least for Rubio — was the abundance of stands serving delicious fish tacos. Rubio even managed to score a recipe, and by 1983 he was selling a personalized version of the fish taco (dubbed the “original fish taco”) at his first namesake restaurant in San Diego.

More restaurants would follow as the Rubio’s Coastal Grill restaurant chain rapidly grew, ultimately topping out at about 200 locations and helping to popularize the fish taco as a staple of SoCal culture and cuisine before recent economic issues necessitated numerous closures.

But, of course, Rubio didn’t invent the fish taco, any more than the owners of the stands in San Felipe did. When he later returned to San Felipe to offer money to the taquero named Carlos who had generously shared his recipe, Rubio discovered he had decamped to Ensenada. This was somewhat fitting, as Ensenada is considered the true birthplace of the modern Baja-style fish taco, and it was likely one of the early pioneers from that city who had brought the invention to San Felipe, kicking off the proliferation of stands that had so charmed Rubio during his Spring Break visit there half a century ago.

Corn tortillas have been around for thousands of years and fishing dates back even further. So there’s little doubt that fish tacos have been consumed since ancient times. But the Baja-style version – beer-battered, deep-fried fish served in corn tortillas with signature toppings plus a squeeze of lime juice – originated in Ensenada in the late 1950s or early 1960s. 

The dates are uncertain, but locals remember a Sinaloan known as Mario “El Bachigualato” as the first modern vendor of fish tacos. He began selling his tortilla-wrapped specialties sometime around 1960 at the Mercado Negro. No, not the seafood market as it exists today, but a loose collection of about 20 stands centered nearby, where Agencia Arjona now sits, that specialized in the black market sale of freshly caught fish – and street food. This makeshift market was finally shut down by authorities after a decade of use in 1967. But not before it produced two iconic regional culinary creations: the fish taco and a seafood stew called “caldo de siete mares”.

According to the Ensenada-based newspaper El Vigía, Mario’s tacos at Mercado Negro were originally meat-based. However, it was a seafood market, so it was only a matter of time before he gave in to requests and started grilling up fish tacos made from cheap and plentiful “angelito,” or angelshark (Squatina californica). Yes, grilling. The earliest versions weren’t breaded or deep fried, and the only topping was a salsa bandera, a type of pico de gallo that takes its name from the fact that its ingredients (green serrano chiles, onion, and tomato) mimic the colors of Mexico’s flag. 

The evolution of a classic comfort food

The success of Mario’s fish tacos soon brought competition from rival stand owners like Tamaulipas native Zeferino Mancilla Fortuna and Pedro Alvarado, each of whom put their stamp on the evolving Baja-style fish taco. The former, for example, is credited as being the first to apply a batter to his fish, while the latter was a pioneer in frying technique. Alvarado’s stand had opened by 1961, making him the second of the fish taco trailblazers at the market. By 1963, Mancilla had set up shop, too. Other taqueros, like Tomás Jiménez, and Aurora Rojas Aguilar, followed.

These early fish taco makers at Mercado Negro were scattered when the market was closed in 1967. “El Bachigualato,” reputedly a hard drinker, had already turned his stand over to a woman named Socorro Negrete Rivera in 1963. She later gave Rojas her start before, like the others, she was evicted. That’s when she decided to take her fish tacos to San Felipe. So she’s the probable starter of the trend of fish taco stands there and hers may have been among those visited by a young Ralph Rubio and friends in 1974. 

Although no definitive link has been established to Japanese tempura, the similarities in deep frying cooking methods that ultimately evolved for the fish tacos suggest some connection. Ensenada, notably, welcomed many Japanese immigrants in the early decades of the 20th century, with fishing a popular industry for recent arrivals. So whether taqueros were asked to make their delicacies a certain way for Japanese customers or were inspired after visiting Japanese homes or fish camps, it’s almost certainly true that the Baja-style fish taco is a fusion food. 

Over time, all the signature elements of the Baja-style fish taco were developed at Mercado Negro. These include a beer-battered and deep-fried whitefish. Boneless angel shark remains popular in Ensenada – as do versions made with shrimp – but other species are acceptable. Rubio’s, for example, has always favored pollock. 

The corn tortilla is not negotiable (TFD NOTE – I disagree!). Nor is the squeeze of lime – at least for traditional preparations. However, lettuce can be used rather than shredded cabbage to accompany the pico de gallo and a “crema” sauce featuring sour cream. 

Aficionados of Baja-style fish tacos will find no shortage of great options. Delicious versions can now be had throughout the Baja California peninsula, from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. But for those who want to visit the dish’s ancestral home, the oldest extant fish taco purveyor in Ensenada is thought to be Tacos Fénix, which first opened in 1970. 

Can’t wait for your next trip to Baja California? California is close enough. Rubio’s Coastal Grill, after all, has been serving fish tacos there for more than 40 years, nearly as long as the taqueros who inspired its founder across the border. 

IMHO, the finest Ensenada Baja fish tacos are indeed found in a tiny street kiosk – the legendary and unmatched Tacos Fénix! The video below should get your hunger jump-started for this superlative street cuisine of Mexico!

Now, as to the making of Ensenada Baja fish tacos My way – let’s be clear: this involves several combined recipes and is indeed a pain in the ass. It’s also totally worth it, totally authentic, and totally something you should be making with a little help from others to make the sides and condiments, and making often!

The good news – virtually every ingredient in this recipe is easily found in most grocery stores or Amazon! Here are the links to the more unusual ingredients needed for My Ensenada Baja fish tacos: Bluegrass soy sauce, Zwita harissa, Marcona skinned almonds (the truffle version are divine for snacking and work extremely well in this recipe!) and REAL wasabi in a tube. This establishment makes PHENOMENAL tortillas in both corn and flour and ships nationwide – I adore the brisket tallow flour tortillas, but the nixtamal yellow corn variety are also phenomenal and more authentic in this recipe.

As per our new minhag (tradition) here at TFD – here is the unvarnished opinion as to what ChatGPT thinks of My superlative recipe! 😀

Citizens – there is no finer version of Ensenada Baja fish tacos to be found unless you visit Tacos Fénix yourself in Mexico – I hope you enjoy these as much as I do, My normalized dislike of fish aside! 😉

Battle on – the Generalissimo

The Hirshon ULTIMATE Ensenada Baja Fish Tacos – Tacos de Pescada de Baja Ensenada

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• Author: The Generalissimo

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. firm white fish (cod, snapper, grouper, halibut, etc. - TFD prefers cod, thresher shark is traditional)
• salted water and crushed garlic, combined to your taste - TFD prefers lots of both
• 10-12 soft corn or flour tortillas, preferably made with lard and warmed (TFD heretically prefers flour, but corn is traditional)
• ***
• For the batter:
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• 1 tsp. chicken-flavored powdered bouillon
• 1 cup Modelo Negra beer
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. double-acting baking powder
• ***
• lard to a depth of 1 1/2 inches for frying
• ***
• The Hirshon white sauce:
• 1/2 cup Daisy brand sour cream
• 1/2 cup Best Foods or Hellmann's mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. wasabi from the tube
• 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce - TFD endorses Bluegrass brand
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. capers, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chili powder
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• ***
• Avocado Salsa:
• 3 fresh tomatillos, husks removed and chopped
• 2 serrano or 1 jalapeño peppers, chopped with seeds
• 6 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped white or yellow onion
• 1 medium-sized avocado
• 1/3 cup water
• kosher salt to taste
• ***
• The Hirshon Arbol Chipotle Salsa:
• 2 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 1/3 cup corn oil
• 1/4 cup bottled water
• 3 large cloves peeled garlic
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup packed dried arbol chiles, stemmed
• 1/4 cup chipotle en adobo from the can (TFD strongly prefers Herdez brand)
• 1/4 cup Marcona skinned almonds (in a pinch, use regular almonds - or, if you can find them, try the truffled Marcona almonds, they're delicious in this recipe!)
• 1/4 cup Tunisian harissa (highly optional and non-traditional TFD addition - recommended but can be omitted), TFD endorses only Zwita brand
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• ***
• Garnishes:
• ***
• Pickled cabbage:
• 1 cup (or more) shredded cabbage
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• fresh minced cilantro leaves, to taste
• ***
• Mexican pickled red onion:
• 1 red onion - peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 limes, juiced
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ***
• 2-3 limes, cut into wedges

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Instructions

1. All of the garnishes and salsas should be made several hours or up to a day in advance.
2. To make the Hirshon white sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, soy and wasabi until well blended. Squeeze the juice from one lime half into the fish taco sauce mixture, then whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing. If still too thick, add more lime juice from the other half. If too runny, add sour cream. Add all of the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the capers, minced pepper and cilantro, and whisk thoroughly. Cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour — the longer the better. Chill and reserve.
3. To make the Hirshon arbol chipotle salsa: Turn on your oven broiler and make sure that you have a rack about 4 inches from the top. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the tomatoes, cut side down and the onion slices onto the sheet.
4. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and charred in spots. Cool for a bit while you toast the garlic and chiles.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the vegetable oil in a small saute pan over medium-ish heat. Cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes just until lightly browned. Now add the chiles and heat, turning them when you need to until just browned in spots. Be careful not to burn them!
6. Transfer the chiles and garlic into a blender, scraping in all of that good oil and all of the seeds. Pour in the vinegar, water, and salt and let it soak for about 5 minutes or so to soften up.
7. Add in the minced fresh oregano, harissa (if using, and you should), almonds, roasted onions and tomatoes and any juices from the pan (including the charred bits – they add beautiful flecks of color). Blend at high speed until smooth.
8. Turn the blender speed to low and add the remaining oil slowly through the hole in the lid, allowing mixture to gradually thicken. If necessary, blend at high speed to fully smooth out sauce to your satisfaction. The sauce should be just slightly thick and still pourable. If not, add a bit of water. Chill and reserve.
9. To make the avocado salsa: Place the tomatillos in the blender with the chopped onion, serrano peppers and water. Process to a coarse texture. Add the cilantro and the pulp from the avocado. Process again to desired texture, either smooth and creamy or chunky. Add salt to taste. Chill and reserve.
10. To make the pickled onion: Slice the onions thinly with a sharp chef’s knife or a mandoline. In a large glass bowl or jar, add all ingredients and toss to combine making sure the onions are coated through. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Shake or mix the onions at least once while they cure. This will ensure all of the onions are covered in the juice and will pickle evenly. Taste before serving and add salt if needed.
11. To make the picked cabbage: Shred enough cabbage to make 1 cup. Stir in 3 Tbsps. red wine vinegar (plain white vinegar works, if you must). Sprinkle cabbage with salt and pepper to taste.
12. To make the fried fish: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the crushed garlic, Mexican oregano, yellow mustard, and powdered chicken bouillon. Whisk in the beer until smooth (like pancake batter). Add more liquid if the mixture is too dry.
13. Remove the skin from the fish (if it has any) and slice into rectangles 3 inches long and ½ inch wide. Add to salted garlic water (it should taste strongly of both flavors!) making sure the fish is completely immersed. Leave in for 20 minutes, then drain.
14. Using tongs, dip each piece of fish into the batter, thoroughly coating it.
15. Heat about 1 ½ inches of lard in a wok or a large, preferably cast iron frying pan until the temperature reaches 350 F.
16. Using a tong, place each piece of fish into the hot oil until the edges turn golden, then flip the fish over and cook the other side (2-3 minutes total cooking time). Be careful not to burn the fish – it should be puffed and golden in color. Remove from the pan and let the fish drain on a paper towel.
17. To serve: Warm each tortilla – either in the microwave or on the stovetop – then place each fish piece inside the tortilla. Top with some white sauce, the salsas, the shredded cabbage mixture, the pickled onions, lime juice, and other toppings of your choice.