How San Diego Does Memorial Day

mmetter — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:34:00 GMT

Whether soaking up the San Diego sunshine with a margarita and fish taco or watching the sun set over the Pacific with a magnificent locally produced cabernet and cooked to perfect Brandt Beef filet, the culinary delights in America’s Finest City are as abundant as our scenery...

For most people, gastronomic delights surrounding Memorial Day include plump hamburgers, all-American hot dogs oozing with onions and relish (well mine do anyway) and for the extravagant carnivores a hearty steak charred to perfection. Such was my fiancée’s astonishment to find that instead of the traditional fare my friends and I had decided to serve up a San Diego staple known fondly as the fish taco.

The Fish Taco originated in Baja California, Mexico, and is usually consisting of grilled or battered and fried fish, cabbage, pico de gallo, and a sour cream or citrus/mayonnaise sauce, all placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla. In California, and San Diego in particular, this dish has become a hotly contested debate among chefs as to who has the best recipe for mouth-watering fish taco success.

So on our beautiful, sunny, poolside Memorial Day celebration we tapped into a Grilled Fish Taco recipe that recreated the famed Rubios sauce, which makes my mouth water now even as I type this.

San Diego Memorial Day Menu
Grilled Fish Taco with Rubios Chimichurri Sauce
Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions and Feta

Grilled Fish Taco with Rubios Chimichurri Sauce
(From San Diego Home Garden & Lifestyles Magazine)

Makes 8 Tacos

Ingredients:

16-24 ounces fresh Mahi Mahi filet(s)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 corn tortillas, preferably stone ground (available at Rubio's)
2 avocados
1 cup Monterey Jack, shredded
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
2 limes, quartered
Chimichurri sauce (recipe follows)
Salsa fresca (recipe follows)

Preparation:

1. Marinate the Mahi Mahi filets in mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt and black pepper for at least 30 minutes, refrigerated.

2. Char-grill Mahi Mahi over medium heat, clowly, about 3 to 4 minutes each side until fish is white, firm, and tender.

3. Cut filet(s) into eight equal pieces.

4. Heat fresh corn tortillas on a skillet until hot and soft. Place in a basket and cover with a towel to keep hot.

5. Halve avocados, remove pits, remove the skin, and slice for placement in the tacos. Lay out on plate and sprinkle with salt.

6. Place shredded Monterey Jack in bowl.

7. Chop romaine lettuce and place in bowl. Slice limes.

8. Assemble tacos by placing Mahi Mahi in a tortilla, then spoon on chimichurri sauce and salsa fresca, and lay down a couple of slices of avocado. Sprinkle with jack cheese, lettuce, and finish with a squeeze of lime.

Chimichurri Sauce

Makes 1 Cup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
2 fresh seeded jalapeños, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Pour into a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.

Salsa Fresca

Chop 2 Roma tomatoes, one quarter of white onion, 1/2 a small bunch of cilantro, 2 jalapeños and 3 serrano peppers. Place in a bowl and add salt and a little olive oil to taste.

Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions and Feta
(From Cooking Light Magazine)

The sharpness of pickled onions offers a pleasing contrast to crisp, juicy watermelon and salty, creamy feta cheese.
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
Ingredients:

    * 1 cup vertically sliced red onion
    * 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
    * 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 2 1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
    * 1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
    * 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
    * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
    * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine balsamic vinegar, oil, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add onion mixture, watermelon, and cucumber; toss gently to coat. Arrange watermelon mixture on a platter. Top with cheese, mint, and basil.

A little about the Rubios chain from its website:

When most college students go away for spring break, all they come back with is a sunburn. But not Ralph Rubio.

Every spring, Ralph and his buddies would head to the Baja village of San Felipe, where you could camp on the beach for free, catch some rays, and forget about studying. One night, a hungry Ralph spotted a taco shop with an unusual specialty advertised in the window: fish tacos. He ordered one, took a few bites, and was hooked.

Over time Ralph became pals with Carlos, the man behind the counter. Carlos showed Ralph how his fish tacos were made. Ralph went back to San Diego and perfected a recipe of his own.

Several years later, with his father Ray as his partner, he opened his first restaurant - a walk-up stand in Mission Bay. Since that day back in 1983, Ralph, with the help of a lot of great people, has sold more than 50 million fish tacos.

From Fish Tacos to Foi Gras

How San Diego Does Memorial Day