Fried Avocado Tacos with Sesame and Lime

Fried Avocado Tacos

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 serrano pepper with seeds, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 small green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided
• pinch kosher salt
• canola oil for frying
• 2 cups corn flakes
• 1 teaspoon aleppo chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 ripe but firm-ish avocados
• corn tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans, recipe follows or substitute canned
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese, for serving
• lime wedges, for serving

1. Make the creamy cilantro sauce by combining the sour cream, canola oil, the juice of one of the limes, garlic, serrano, cilantro, and a teaspoon of kosher salt in a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and thin and a lovely shade of spring green.
2. Make the cabbage slaw by combining the shredded cabbage with the juice of the second lime, the sesame oil, one tablespoon of sesame seeds, and a hefty pinch of kosher salt.
3. Prepare the fried avocados. Pour enough canola oil into a cast iron skillet to come about an inch up the sides of the pan and heat over medium until the oil reaches around 375 degrees. Put the corn flakes in a zippered bag and crush with a rolling pin- you're looking for your largest flakes to be no bigger than panko bread crumbs. Combine the corn flakes with the chile flakes, the remaining two tablespoons of sesame seeds, sugar, and salt on a plate. Put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl. When your oil is hot, cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Cut the halves in half again and pull the skin off the avocado quarters. One at a time, toss the avocado quarters in beaten egg and then in the corn flake mixture, and then drop gently into the hot oil. Fry, flipping once, until both sides of the avocados are golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Assemble the tacos. Top each corn tortilla with a handful of the cabbage slaw, a few spoon fulls of warm pinto beans, 1-2 pieces of fried avocado, the creamy cilantro sauce, and some crumbled cotija. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.

Creamy Pinto Beans

• 1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 piece of salt pork, about 3 ounces
• kosher salt

1. Put the soaked beans in a large dutch oven and cover with two inches of cold water. Add the bay leaves, garlic, and salt pork, and then season the water with plenty of kosher salt (as much salt as you would use for pasta water- several tablespoons). Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are done, 1-2 hours. Test your beans at the one hour mark by eating a few- they should be soft and creamy. When the beans are done, transfer two big ladles of beans and an extra ladle of broth to a blender and blend until smooth. Drain the rest of the liquid off the beans that are still in the pot, and then stir in the blended beans. This will make a creamy sauce for your beans.