Who doesn’t enjoy trying new food with a creative twist to keep life interesting?

The flavours and textures of these Beer Battered Jalapeño Tacos with Grilled Corn Salsa are incredible! These tacos are spicy, sweet, and totally unique.

Beer Battered Jalapeño Tacos with Grilled Corn Salsa

Serves: 6 tacos

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Beer Battered Jalapeños:

• 8 jalapeño peppers, whole

• ½ cup cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

• 2 scallions, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup potato starch (can also substitute with cornstarch)

• 1 cup Driftwood Viewfield Brett Saison

• Vegetable oil, for frying

• 12 Maiiz Nixtamal tortillas

For the Grilled Corn Salsa:

• 2 ears corn, shucked

• 1 medium tomato, finely diced

• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons lime juice (from approx. ½ a lime)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Cilantro-Lime Crema:

• ¾ cup sour cream

• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 4 tablespoons lime juice (from approx. 1 lime)

Directions:

1. Begin by preparing the jalapeños. Use a sharp paring knife to slice a slit down the center of each jalapeño pepper. Make another small slit horizontally below the stem on each jalapeño pepper. This will allow you to open up the jalapeño pepper slightly to remove the seeds and membrane.

2. Insert a small spoon into the slit in each jalapeño pepper, scraping out the seeds and the membrane. Repeat for all the jalapeños and discard all seeds and membrane. Remember to wash your hands after handling the peppers!

3. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, scallions, and pepper together until combined.

4. Use a small spoon to scoop 1 ½ to 2 ½ tablespoons of the cheese filling (depending on the size of the jalapeños) into the slits of each of the jalapeños. Do not over-stuff the jalapeños and this will make frying difficult. Once stuffed, squeeze the slit on the jalapeños closed so that the filling is fully contained. Repeat for the rest of the jalapeños.

5. Place the jalapeños on a plate and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes.

6. While the jalapeños are cooling, make the grilled corn salsa. Heat your grill to 400 degrees F. Add the corn straight on the grill and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until the corn has become slightly charred. Remove from the grill and let cool.

7. Once cool, use a sharp knife to cut off the kernels on each ear of corn. Combine the corn kernels in a bowl with the tomato, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Mix until combined and set aside.

8. Next, make the cilantro-lime crema. Combine the sour cream, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.

9. Heat a pot of vegetable oil over high heat to 400 degrees F.

10. Right before you are ready to fry the jalapeños, make the beer batter. Combine the flour, potato starch and beer in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

11. Dunk each jalapeño pepper into the beer batter and then carefully drop into the oil. Fry each pepper for 4-5 minutes, or until the beer batter has turned golden brown. Place the cooked jalapeños on a paper towel to drain the oil, and repeat for the rest of the jalapeños.

12. Finally, assemble the tacos. Toast the corn tortillas in a dry frying pan to heat them through. Top each tortilla with the cilantro-lime crema, a whole beer battered jalapeño, and scoop of the grilled corn salsa. Serve immediately with a cold glass of Driftwood Viewfield Brett Saison and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• You can stuff the jalapeños the day before to make assembly easier! You can also make the grilled corn salsa and cilantro-lime crema one day in advance.

• When deep frying, make sure to not fill your pot above halfway. This will keep you safe from overspilling and splatters.