This fish taco is a great recipe to get children interested in eating fish. We are so lucky to have such great fish available in Ireland and hake is very good value. You can substitute any firm-fleshed white fish. I like coley, whiting or haddock, but you might like to try Dublin Bay prawns which are delicious for a bit of a treat.

This is a tempura-style batter and is very good with fish and chips. The cornflour and sparkling water makes it nice and crispy. The salsa is very versatile and easy for children to make. It goes great with sandwiches, grilled chicken or fish.

Schnitzel just means cooked in breadcrumbs. This recipe makes a little chicken go a long way and beats a ready-made chicken burger any time. You could also use this recipe with turkey or pork chops. It doesn’t take long to prepare, especially if you have some breadcrumbs tucked away in the freezer.

The parmesan gives good flavour and a nice golden-brown colour. Alternatively, you could use one of the many fabulous Irish cheeses available. Gabriel and Desmond from west Cork are excellent.

Happy cooking.

Crispy Fish Tacos with Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

2 x 350g (12oz) hake fillets, skinned and boned

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

8 soft flour tortillas

2 little gem lettuces, finely shredded

300ml (½ pint) sour cream

Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Lime wedges, to garnish

Batter

50g (2oz) plain flour

25g (1oz) cornflour

175ml (6fl oz) sparking water, well chilled

Tomato salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Pinch of caster sugar

1 To make the tomato salsa, place the tomatoes in a bowl with the red onion, lime juice, coriander and sugar. Season to taste, then stir well to combine and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop.

2 To make the batter, place the flour, cornflour, sparkling water and a pinch of salt into a food processor and blend until smooth. Cut the hake fillets into 1cm (½in) strips and season generously.

3 Pour the vegetable oil into a pan until it’s about one-third full and heat to 190°C (375°F), or until a small piece of white bread dropped into the oil browns and rises to the surface in one minute.

4 Warm the tortillas in a low oven or in the microwave as per instructions.

5 Dip the strips of fish into the batter, shaking off any excess, and then drop them into the hot oil. Cook for three to four minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper.

6 To serve, put some lettuce down the centre of each warmed flour tortilla and spoon over the tomato salsa, then top with the crispy hake goujons and the sour cream. Add a squeeze of lime and fold in the sides of the tortilla, rolling it up as tight as possible.

Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Baps

Serves 4

25g (1oz) seasoned flour

1 large egg

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of salt

50g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tbsp freshly-grated parmesan

2 large skinless chicken fillets

2 tbsp olive oil

Knob of butter

4 white bread rolls

Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Coleslaw

2 carrots, finely grated

¼ head of white cabbage, tough core removed and shredded

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 Put the seasoned flour on a flat plate. Beat the egg, milk and a pinch of salt in a shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs and parmesan in a separate dish and season with salt and pepper.

2 Cut each chicken fillet in half so that it almost opens out like a butterfly, then cut all the way through – you’re looking to get two even-sized, thin pieces of chicken from each breast.

3 Dust in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs.

4 Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and then add the butter. Once the butter stops sizzling, add in the coated chicken pieces and sauté for two to three minutes on each side, until cooked through and golden brown.

5 Meanwhile, to make the coleslaw, put the carrots and cabbage in a bowl and fold in the mayonnaise, then season to taste. Split the bread rolls in half and lightly toast them.

6 To serve, spread the bottom of the bread rolls with the coleslaw and put a crispy chicken schnitzel on top. Cover with the other half of the roll. CL