Deep-Fried Artichoke Tacos with Spicy Cucumber Salsa

Beer-battered and deep-fried, the layered leaves of the artichoke heart end up giving a flakiness similar to fish. Any fish taco recipe can easily be changed to something new using battered artichoke hearts. I've prepared these with a sweet lime sour cream, a chunky guacamole and a spicy cucumber salsa, but loading them up in your own fashion is recommended. 

Check out The Scattered Cook for some good inspirations!

Ingredients

Servings: 4

Tacos

• Artichoke hearts - 1 can
• Not marinated in oil; should be canned in water, salt and citric acid
• Flour - 1/2 cup
• Beer - 1/2 cup
• Paprika - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Corn tortillas - 8-10
• Red cabbage - ~1/4

Spicy Cucumber Salsa

• Cucumber - 1/2
• Lemon - 1/2
• Roma tomato - 1
• Scallions - 3
• Serrano peppers - 2
• Can be de-seeded or exchanged for 1 Anaheim pepper (less spicy) or jalapeño peppers (more spicy)
• Curry - 2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Sweet Lime Sour Cream

• Sour cream - 1/3 cup
• Mayonnaise - 1 Tbsp
• Lime - 1/2
• Lime zest - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Honey - 2 tsp

Guacamole

• Avocados - 2
• Red onion - 1/8 - 1/4
• Lime - 1/2
• Roma tomato - 1
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Cilantro - 5-10 sprigs
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp

Directions

*Step-by-step directions with pictures below*

Zest lime. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, honey, salt, lime juice and lime zest. Stir and refrigerate. 

Chop up avocados and put into a bowl. Add cayenne pepper, and salt. Add lime juice. Thinly dice red onion, garlic, tomato and cilantro. Combine in a bowl and mash with a fork. Refrigerate. 

Dice cucumber, tomato, Serrano peppers and scallions into 1/4" pieces. Add to a bowl and add curry powder, salt and black pepper. Stir and refrigerate.

Slice cabbage very thinly. 

Combine flour, paprika, and salt in a bowl and stir until mixed evenly. Add beer. *see note below on consistency*

Heat oil for deep-frying.

Cut the artichoke hearts in half. Pat dry and flatten. Dip in batter. Drop a few drops of batter into the oil to see if it is ready, they'll float and bubble when the oil is ready. Fry artichokes on both sides. 

Heat a dry pan and warm tortillas for 30 seconds on each side. 

Load your tacos up and they're ready to serve!

Note:
*The beer batter might need some adjusting, either add beer or flour. It should be liquidy enough to remain a flat surface in the bowl (ie no clumps), but not too liquidy that it will not stay on your artichoke hearts*

Step-by-step Directions

- Sweet lime sour cream -

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, honey, and salt.

Zest lime into bowl.

Cut lime and juice half into bowl.

Stir and refrigerate.

- Guacamole -

Cut avocados

Combine in bowl

Add lime juice

Cut up garlic, red onion, cilantro and tomato

Combine in bowl

Mash with a fork

Refrigerate

- Spicy cucumber salsa -

Dice cucumber, tomato, scallions and Serrano peppers

1/4" pieces

Add to a bowl along with curry powder, salt and pepper

Mix evenly and refrigerate

- Toppings -

Thinly slice cabbage

- Artichoke tacos -

Combine flour, paprika and salt in a bowl.

Add beer and stir until even

Batter might need some adjusting

Heat oil for deep-frying

Cut artichoke heart in half, pat dry and flatten

Dip artichoke in batter

*Test oil with a drop of batter first*

Deep fry

Flip

Let drain on paper towel

Heat dry pan and warm tortilla for 30 seconds on each side

Load up and serve!