The Cabbage Slaw Swap For Tastier Fish Tacos

Part of what makes fish tacos so appealing is the crunchy cabbage slaw that contrasts the softer fish and tortilla, bringing a unique freshness to each bite. The mouth-pleasing combination of flavors and textures is why fish tacos are so popular, but there's always room for innovation. Shaking up the slaw by making it with jicama instead of cabbage can give fish tacos a new and even tastier spin.

The root vegetable that looks a like a potato, but with a turnip-like point, has a juicy crispness and crunch that's similar to an apple or radish. It tastes slightly sweet and nutty, and is sometimes compared to a water chestnut. Jicama absorbs flavor well, easily taking on the taste of other slaw ingredients. It brings a fresh snap that brightens up the slaw, with a juicy crunch that echoes the crispy coating of beer-battered fish.

Once you know how to pick and prep jicama, you can julienne it into matchstick-sized pieces. Then, combine it with classic slaw veggies like carrot, bell pepper, jalapeño, red onion, or cilantro, and mix everything with lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, or honey. Add fruity sweetness with pineapple or mango, or pump up the heat with serrano pepper or cayenne. Refrigerate your jicama slaw until assembly time for the tacos. Choose mild-flavored fish for the best fish tacos, but if you're tight on time, fish sticks make for easy tacos you can assemble in minutes.

Jicama can also be used as a fish taco topping by dicing it and making it into salsa, with both slaw and salsa keeping in the tradition of enjoying the vegetable raw. You can use similar ingredients as the slaw (but diced instead of sliced), along with other ingredients like tomatoes, corn, or even black beans. You could also start with a refrigerator pickling of the jicama with vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and salt — for extra tangy flavor — and then use it to make your slaw or salsa topping. 

You could really flip the fish taco script and make the taco shell itself from jicama. Choose one that's large enough that its rounds can be folded to make a taco shell. Cut the bulb into round slices about the width of a dime, using a mandoline if you have one, then fill the raw jicama shells with the fish and toppings. If they break too easily when you try to bend them, place the rounds in boiling water for a couple of minutes to soften them. You could also spray the slices with olive oil and very lightly brown them in a skillet for a couple of minutes on both sides. Some grocery stores also carry pre-made jicama wraps. With all the ways to enjoy bright, crisp jicama in your fish tacos, you may never go back to cabbage slaw again.