Fish Taco
I love grilled fish. To my taste buds there is just nothing better than a perfectly grilled piece of good fresh fish – salmon, halibut, cod, rock fish, cat fish, sword fish, mahi-mahi, grouper, trout – shall I go on? The simple and delicate flavor of fresh fish kissed by the searing hot grates – perhaps with just a touch of apple or other wood smoke – is a perfect meal. When I have left-overs I’ll sometimes make small sandwiches of the grilled fish – with a salsa of some variety, perhaps some guacamole and sour cream. I use a soft flour or corn tortilla instead of a piece of bread (although a fresh baguette with grilled fish is a very tasty sandwich!)
On one of our first date nights the lovely Miss Laura laughed at me and said: “CB – you know my family calls these tacos?” And I just smiled…cause whatever you choose to call them – they are Dee-Lish-Us!
Thanks and Welcome to the Cookout! ~ Barry CB Martin
I love grilled fish and sometimes make small sandwiches of the grilled fish - with a salsa of some variety, perhaps some guacamole and sour cream. I use a soft flour or corn tortilla instead of a piece of bread (although a fresh baguette with grilled fish is a very tasty sandwich!) Call it a fish sandwich if you serve on toasted baguette, fish taco if on a small crispy tortilla and fish burrito if you add beans and wrap it up...regardless of what you call it grilled fish is tasty served this way!
Ingredients
- Fresh firm fish - trout, catfish, talapia, halibut, grouper, mahi-mahi, salmon - your choice and about 6-8 ounces of fish per person will make 3 tacos per person
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup of clarified butter (melted with solids skimmed away)
- 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste
- 1/2 teaspoon of finely minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley or cilantro
- soft corn or flour tortillas - the 8" size is goof for smaller size servings
- your favorite salsa
- your favorite hot sauce
- sour cream
- avocado, pitted and sliced
- shredded cheeses if desired
Instructions
- Prepare the serving platter with avocado slices, sour cream, salsa and tortillas.
- Mix clarified butter, anchovy paste and hot sauce with garlic in bowl and whisk to combine ingredients (emulsify)
- Keep fish chilled until just before grilling - this helps keep it firm
- Dry off fish and salt it lightly, place on clean, dry grates that are heated to about 450°F
- Where it hits it sits - don't move the fish around - but do watch the edges, because as you can see the grates begin to brown at the contact points the fish is searing - when the flesh turns brown it will release from the grates. You can help this a bit by spraying or wiping cooking oil on a spatula about the size of each piece of fish...lay the spatula flat on the grates and in one quick movement slip it between the grates and the fish - turn and grill the other side. Total cooking time is dependent upon your grill and the temperature of the fish when it hits the grate. Once the fish is seared and has the brown marks you can remove it from the grates and finish it in a pan or tray off of direct heat to about 145°F internal temperature.
- Brush on the mixture of clarified butter and anchovy paste and section the fish into pieces that will fit in the tortillas you've chosen.
- Some people like tortillas soft while others like them crisp
- You can make them semi-crisp by placing the tortilla on the hot grates for just about a minute a side - the tortilla will get lovely and tasty grill marks. The longer you leave it on the grates the darker (burnt?) they become.
- Combine all ingredients in tortillas and serve
Notes
A variation of this recipe was featured on The Weather Channel May 05, 2012 and prepared by Barry 'CB' Martin
Fish taco
