Pears are a fruit that I often forget about when shopping at the store. I always get apples, oranges, and sometimes berries (so basic), but I rarely buy pears! Pears. Are. Delicious. They have such a nice velvety texture and they are so juicy and sweet, but not too sweet! I figured a pear slaw would be a perfect dish to highlight how great they are! And what better use of slaw than on top of fish tacos.

I must be honest, this was my first time really working with pears. I have eaten them whole, but this was my first time preparing them in a dish. I learned the hard way that pears turn brown very quickly. The first time I made this slaw I sliced my pears and mixed them with the cabbage and cilantro. Then I opted to whip up the dressing after. It only took me about 10 minutes, but by the time I was pouring the dressing onto the slaw the pears looked awful. Of course I still ate and liked the slaw, but sadly the presentation was less than appetizing. I learned my lesson: you must toss the pears in lemon juice/ lime juice IMMIDIATELY after cutting them to stop them from oxidizing so quickly.

To prepare the slaw, first mix together the dressing. I use canola oil as it is essentially flavorless, but works as a good binder for dressing. Olive oil is perfectly fine if you prefer. Add the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, a little bit of water, honey, dried oregano, cumin, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Let this rest so the flavors can meld. In a large bowl, squeeze some lime or lemon juice. Then as you slice your pear, toss it in the bowl making sure to coat the slices. Mix in shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro, diced jalapeño and the dressing.

For the tacos I used cod, but any flaky white fish will do! Rinse the fish and pat dry. Then slice across the filet making long thin slices about an inch wide (this makes it easy to build your taco later). Set aside. In a bowl whisk together 2 eggs, and in a separate bowl mix together equal parts flour and panko. I use panko because it tends to crisp up nicely. However, I did crush up the panko to make a finer texture before mixing with the flour. I wanted the fish to be crispy but not too “breaded”. Pour canola oil into a cast iron, or skillet with tall sides, until you have about an inch of oil. It is important to use a mild canola or light olive oil as the smoke point is higher, meaning you can heat the oil hotter before it burns. This is ideal for frying fish because fish takes little time to cook and you still want the crust to crisp up.

Heat the oil on medium high until the oil seems to gloss over or look like the top is moving slightly, that’s when you know it is hot and ready to fry. Dip the fish, one piece at a time, in the egg wash, then the panko flour mix, making sure to coat completely. Then gently place fish into the oil. Fry each piece on one side for about 3 minutes, then flip for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and place onto a paper towel. You’ll need to do a few batches depending on how big your pan is and how much fish you are frying. I suggest heating your oven to 200 degrees and placing the finished fish on a pan in the oven until all the fish is cooked.

While the fish is frying I mixed up a sriracha mayo (literally just sriracha and mayo) to add a little heat and some extra moisture for the tacos. You could certainly opt for plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo. I like corn tortillas and I wrap them in a damp dish towel and microwave for 30 seconds to heat them before dressing them up. To assemble the tacos, smear the sriracha mayo on the tortilla, add desired amount of fish, then top with slaw!

While my post is long winded, it’s actually easier than you think. I was a little shy of frying, but turns out it’s super simple… which may not be the best news for my waistline! All things in moderation, right?! These tacos are fresh and bright and packed with sweet and spicy flavors! Enjoy!