The Mexican Condiment That Deserves A Spot On Your Fried Fish Sandwiches

Fish is a versatile enough protein that there are few wrong ways to make a sandwich with it. But when you want something fresh, cool, creamy, and delicious, few options are as easy to throw together as an avocado crema.

Made by blending sour cream, avocado, and a handful of other ingredients, like lime and cilantro, it's a subtly flavorful condiment. While you'll notice plenty of tang from the dairy and citrus, it isn't so strong that it'll overpower your fish, especially if you opt for something savory, like a fried fillet. Avocados are naturally quite high in monounsaturated fats, so they're a great way to add heartiness to an otherwise lean sandwich. You'll still get plenty of value when pairing the crema with steamed, grilled, or baked low-fat fish. Even a light smear over the buns gives you enough texture and flavor to make a noticeable improvement, so you don't have to use a ton of ingredients for a single serving.

The key to making an avocado crema is to pick the best avocados at the store — ones that are just ripe enough to blend well but not so overripe that you end up with dark spots in the flesh. This also gives you the decadent, buttery flavor so many people love in the savory fruit, which contrasts perfectly with the tart sour cream. Still, if you're using a blender or another high-powered tool, you can make a slightly underripe avocado easier to blend.

While every ingredient in a sandwich should add its own special something, creating commonality among the flavors helps produce a cohesive whole. Still, avocado crema is a fairly heavy, thick condiment, so avoiding fish sandwich assembly mistakes as you blend its flavor with others is important for a good eating experience.

For an easy, low-effort crema upgrade, try adding a bit of your fish's seasoning. Just toss some of the dry ingredients you use in the batter or on the fish directly into the blender, and you'll have a sauce that's still distinctive but pairs well with your meal as a whole. Keep in mind that because this is a cold topping, spices and herbs may not express their flavors quite as fully as they would when cooked. Still, this can easily be a plus because it makes it more difficult to overseason your sauce.

If you're looking for a sauce that contrasts with your fish rather than complements it, lean toward ingredients that are potent in small doses. This keeps assembly quick and easy while still allowing you to transform the crema's flavor. Much like adding wasabi to tartar sauce, adding small amounts of different kinds of heat brings avocado crema to life and pairs deliciously with its acidity. Components of the sour cream, including its fat and dairy proteins, can also help temper the capsaicin-induced heat from hot sauce and peppers, letting you use enough for great flavor without accidentally creating a mouth-blistering topping.