Fabulous Fish Tacos
Talk to me long enough (like, five minutes) and a few things about me will become readily apparent: (1) I hate being cold, (2) I love to eat (and cook), (3) I’m madly in love with my kids, and (4) I love, love, LOVE spending time in California, especially San Diego.
San Diego is just about the best place on Earth. It’s beautiful, the weather is (almost) always spectacular, and it has a relaxed, laid-back attitude that always makes me feel right at home; always perfectly at ease.
One of the great side benefits to San Diego’s climate, as well as its seaside location, is that there’s plenty of great seafood, and always lots of yummy ways to eat it. In fact, if the city had a signature dish, it’d have to be fish tacos.
Usually, when I mention fish tacos (here on the East Coast), people wrinkle up their nose and say, “Huh? That doesn’t sound good.” But once people try them, they’re hooked.
Fish tacos exemplify everything that’s great about San Diego. They’re delicious, light, unpretentious, and easy to make and eat.
Since I don’t get to San Diego nearly as often as I’d like, and since fish tacos aren’t available at most restaurants back East, I had to learn to make them myself. They’ve become a staple in my house. My kids love them, friends magically appear when they hear that they’re on the menu for the day. They’ve become my signature dish.
Over time, I’ve honed my recipe pretty well, I think. Give ‘em a try on your grill tonight (you’ll be glad you did!)
Fabulous Fish Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound of your favorite white fish (my choice is Mahi Mahi, but Tilapia works well)
¼ cup olive oil (don’t use extra-virgin here; the flavor is too strong)
The juice of one lime
One jalapeno pepper, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
8 fajita-sized flour tortillas
Garnishes & Toppings
Shredded cabbage
Your favorite hot sauce
Crema (if you can find it) or sour cream
Thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
Chopped cilantro
Pico de gallo
Preparation
Put fish in a Ziploc bag. Stir together the olive oil, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro; pour over the fish. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, but not more than about an hour.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the hot grill. Grill for about 6 minutes, turning the fish over after about 4 minutes, or until it’s white and flaky. Flake the fish into a bowl.
Serve with warm tortillas and fill with your toppings of choice.
See how easy that was? This couldn’t come together faster, which makes it a great meal to serve during the work week. It’s light and delicious, which makes it perfect for summer. It’s even pretty doggone healthy, so you won’t feel guilty about “indulging.”
I hope you enjoy my little slice of San Diego. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to make some airplane reservations; there’s a flip-flop-wearing town on the West Coast that’s calling my name.
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Photo Credit: Neilwill
