My friend Lorraine introduced me to Rinconcito, a great El Salvadoran restaurant on Commercial Drive. It’s cheap, the food is fresh, simple and delicious and the margaritas are fantastic.
For the real deal I would go straight there and enjoy papusas, fresh guacamole, chicken chimichanga, fish tacos, salsa roja or any number of other El Salvadoran treats.
I went back three times in the next three weeks (maybe just maybe the margaritas had something to do with it!) before I decided to try and make my own fish tacos. I drew my inspiration from Rinconcito’s fish tacos and then went out on my own culinary limb with some flourishes and improvisations along the way. This is what I came up with:
Serves two
1 pound snanpper filet (salmon, halibut or snapper also work)
1/2 cup (or so) corn meal
oil ( enough to cover the fish while frying, it should be about an inch high in the pan)
Method:
Rinse and pat the fish dry. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Drench in corn meal. Heat olive or canola oil to medium high heat in a deep pan.
Fry pieces of fish for up to two or three minutes. Remove from oil and drain on plate and paper towels. I like salt so I add salt after cooking but you don’t have to.
Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peel and cut into small pieces
1 ripe avocado, same as above
1 tomato, and ditto
1/4 red onion thinly diced
1/4 cilantro finely chopped (or slightly less)
3 cloves garlic finely minced
juice of one lime
1 tsp chili pepper
salt n’ peppa to taste
Stir it all up and set aside.
* if I have fresh basil and mint, I chop those up and add them as well.
Corn Tortilla
Heat frying pan to medium high heat, warm corn tortillas.
Assemble fish and salsa on tortilla and enjoy. Add hot sauce if you like em’ hot.
Eat and enjoy!
PS I have also served beans and salsa on the side and eaten the fish on a taco with a bit of mayonaise and lettuce. Either way is delicious!
Condofire 