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Smoked Marlin Quesadillas

This is my version of the famous Baja taco gobernador, which is a shrimp-stuffed quesadilla. The marlin adds a distinctive smoked flavor that makes this a very special kind of quesadilla. If you must substitute, you can use canned tuna—just make sure it is well drained, and cook the filling an additional 4 minutes to allow the moisture from the tuna to evaporate.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound smoked marlin, shredded
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 small white onion, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup canned tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Hungarian sweet paprika, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ten 6-inch corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella cheese
Lime wedges, for serving
Bottled hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the marlin, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, and bay leaf. Cook to combine the flavors, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with paprika, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.

    Step 2

    Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 corn tortillas, side by side, to heat. Place a small mound of cheese on one side of each tortilla. Wait until the cheese melts slightly, about 1 minute, and then add about 2 tablespoons of the marlin mixture to each tortilla (discard the bay leaf). Fold the tortillas over into half-moons and cook to melt the cheese completely, another minute or two. Transfer the quesadillas to a platter and keep warm.

    Step 3

    Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and marlin mixture. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.

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