It’s finally here! It’s summer grilling season and we have a suggestion this year—put down the hot dogs and hamburgers and try something new. Why not try expanding your repertoire and try some new fish recipes? From ceviche to swordfish kebabs, fish is perfect for the summer and reminds us of those long, warm days on the beach.

San Marino Seafood owner Basil Banks is well versed in fresh fish and the myriad of ways it can be prepared. His fresh fish case is always stocked with great selections, like Copper River Sockeye Salmon, Alaskan halibut, fresh oysters, and freshly prepared ceviche.

“We have all the ingredients to make fish tacos here, which are pretty popular during the summer time,” Banks says.

Which gave us an idea! We’re sharing a great fish taco recipe for you and your friends to enjoy. It’s a great introduction to cooking and hopefully will expand your culinary horizons…or at least your waistband.

FISH TACO RECIPE

Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 pounds skinless mild white fish fillets
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white rice flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups club soda
Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
16 small corn tortillas (32 if you would like to use 2 per taco)
Garnishes, like shredded cabbage, chopped or pickled onion, cilantro, sour cream, or your favorite salsa

Preparing the Fish Fillet

Clean fish fillets from any pin bones using tweezers. Cut fillet in half lengthwise into to 1” strips. In a medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, rice flour, and salt. Gradually pour in enough club soda while whisking until mixture becomes smooth and thick enough to coat the fish. The mixture should resemble thin pancake batter.

In a large pot, heat oil until the thermometer reaches 350°. Working with 5 to 7 pieces of fillet strips at a time, coat in batter and drip off excess batter before carefully placing in oil.

TIP: When you drop the filets in the pan, make sure to drop the filets in facing away from you. Otherwise, your hands might get splattered by the now 350° oil.

Turn the fish occasionally with a fish spatula or slotted spoon and see to it that you maintain the oil temperature at 350°. Fry for 5 minutes or until crust is puffed, crisp, and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and season immediately with salt.

Assembling your taco

Heat the tortillas over a gas burner until lightly charred and puffed, about 1 minute per side. Top tortillas with the fried fish fillets and your desired garnishes. Serve with lime wedges.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Check out San Marino Seafood Restaurant & Market for more seafood surprises.

San Marino Seafood Restaurant & Market is located at 2150 Huntington Drive, San Marino. For more information, please call (626) 943-8862 or visit www.sanmarinoseafood.com.