Jonathan Zaragoza is a Chicago-based chef who got his start in professional kitchens working at the Michelin-starred Sepia and Sixteen, before becoming the chef of Masa Azul at 22. Jonathan’s path has taken him throughout Mexico, deep into its rich culinary heritage, to bring its traditions with him to London, Dubai, Paris, and the U.S.

Jonathan Zaragoza

Take a trip to Ensenada, Mexico, with these super-crispy fried fish tacos. Battered strips of fish, swaddled in corn tortillas, anointed with a simple tomato salsa, shredded cabbage, and mayocrema. These fish tacos are all gas and no brakes.The key is in that batter. We use a beer batter, bolstering the malty notes of a crisp Mexican lager with chicken bouillon powder (MSG, baby!), oregano, honey, and yellow mustard, so the crust is super tasty all on its own. To get it extra crispy without becoming tough, we use a mix of wheat and rice flours, which limits gluten formation, and we use both baking powder and vodka to create a lattice-like network of starches and wheat proteins that fries to a crisp in a just a couple of minutes, ensuring that the fresh fish (as fresh as possible, please!) is perfectly cooked.

Ensenada-Style Fish Tacos