I had an idea for mango-pineapple salsa last night and decided fish tacos would be the perfect vehicle for it. Tonight I made dinner for myself and my housemates. Usually I make salmon tacos but we had salmon with Blackberry Barbecue Sauce on New Year’s Eve so I bought wild caught Alaskan cod for tonight’s fish dish. I’ve been anxious to try encrusting fish or chicken in almond meal and brown rice flour and frying it. Tonight I did just that and it turned out much better than I was expecting. The cod was crunchy and flavorful and held up well under the Spicy Cabbage Slaw, Sugar Free Pickled Red Onions and the Mango-Pineapple Salsa. The pickled onions were also the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the mango-pineapple salsa. I love it when a dish comes out balanced correctly when all the components are eaten together. Hehe!

When I have access to cable/satellite television I watch cooking shows. One of the tricks to good breading is laying the breaded meat out on a wire rack (with waxed or parchment paper underneath) to dry a little before putting it in the hot oil. It worked and out of 23 pieces of fish, only one side of one piece of fish had the breading fall off during cooking.

1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Enough light oil to cover the bottom of a deep frying pan with an inch of oil (I used grapeseed oil)

In a shallow pan or bowl, combine almond meal, rice flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well with a fork. Put the beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Set up a dredging station with egg bowl, flour bowl and a wire rack with parchment (or waxed) paper underneath it. Pour oil into deep frying pan and heat on medium high until it reaches 350* F. While oil is heating, dip the cod pieces in the egg and then dredge in the flour & meal mixture. Shake off as much extra breading as possible and lay on wire rack to dry. Once oil reaches the proper temperature, carefully put the fish pieces in the oil with either a fork or tongs. Cook on each side for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) or until each side is golden brown. Adjust temperature of burner often to keep oil at an even 350* F. Remove fish from oil and drain on a plate covered in two paper towels.