Maui-Style Snapper
Unlike Baja fish tacos, which are deep-fried in batter, those made Maui-style are grilled. In all my travels, whenever I’m near the ocean—whether it’s in Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, Thailand, or Australia—there has always been a small stand somewhere that serves the local catch in an affordable, portable (usually grilled) form. One of my funniest fish taco experiences occurred in a small town in Alaska where we had stopped for supplies during a sailing trip through Prince William Sound. There in front of us was an old school bus painted in bright, tropical colors now converted to a walk-up kitchen selling, of all things—Maui tacos! We were a long way from Hawaii, but the methods were the same—the local catch (salmon and crab, in this case), simply grilled and served with salsa on fresh tortillas. To reduce the heat of this dish, you can substitute Tabasco for the habanero hot sauce. If necessary, to prevent the pieces of snapper from falling through the grill grate into the fire, use a seafood grilling screen. The pineapple can be grilled ahead, if you prefer, and held at room temperature. Both the pineapple and snapper can also be grilled indoors on a nonstick ridged grill pan. For the pineapple use medium heat, 5 minutes per side; for the fish, very high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. In a large bowl, toss the pineapple with the hot sauce. Grill the fruit slices over very low heat until browned and caramelized, 10 minutes per side (don’t let the slices blacken or burn). Cut the pineapple rings into small wedges and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, and salt and marinate the snapper strips in the mixture for 5 minutes (the oil will help prevent the fish from sticking to the grill). Once the pineapple is done, grill the fish over medium-high heat until cooked through, turning once, about 6 minutes total. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.
Step 3
To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the lettuce, fish, pineapple, and avocado equally between the tortillas and top with salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some lettuce, filling, avocado, and salsa, and eat.
