Before I say anything, I've got to give credit where credit's due... I didn't come up with either the idea, or the incredible name, for guacamopea! Both were created by my mate Adam Purnell, known to most as Shropshire Lad, and my own version has evolved from there.
Side note, if you're ever in Shropshire, you've got to check out Adam's café Embers - based in a log cabin in the woods, serving incredible food cooked predominantly over fire!
Anyway, back to the tacos! This is a super easy recipe with most of the work done in the prep, so before the fish is on the BBQ you're basically ready to serve.
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes (30 if making your own tortillas)
Cooking time: 10 minutes plus firelighting (20 ifmaking your own tortillas)
Ingredients
4 seabass fillets
8 taco-sized tortillas
1-2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil
Flaky sea salt
Quacamopea
200g frozen peas
Bunch fresh coriander
1 fresh red chilli (this can be spicy, use chilli flakes to taste if you like it milder)
Juice of 2 limes
Teaspoon honey
Dash red wine vinegar
Large pinch salt
Large pinch pepper
Pickled Onions
1 red onion
75ml red wine vinegar
75ml boiling water
2 tbsp sugar
Large pinch salt
For Homemade Corn Tortillas
128g masa flour
196g boiling water
Large pinch salt
Method
If you're cooking on a Kamado, fire up your BBQ for direct grilling - you need it hot, but not as hot as you would for searing steak, which will burn the skin. If you're cooking on a kettle or other steel BBQ, and lighting with a chimney starter, you can light your BBQ after you've prepped your ingredients for the guacamopea.
For the pickled onions, thinly slice your red onion and add it to a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and make sure all of the sugar has dissolved, and all the onion is underneath the pickling liquid.
Pickled onions can be made hours or even days in advance, so fit them in when you have time - just make sure you store them in the fridge in a sterilised container. But don't worry if you're getting them made during your prep time, they still come out great.
Liberally salt both sides of your seabass fillets using fine sea salt, and pop them back in the fridge.
It's okay to feel like you're putting too much on the skin side - its purpose is to draw moisture out of the skin, and most of it will fall off during cooking.
You can do this a few hours ahead if you prefer.
You'll prep the ingredients for your guacompea now, but blitz when you're ready to cook your fish.
Add your peas into a bowl with warm water to defrost.
Roughly chop your chilli and coriander, halve your limes and make sure the other ingredients are in easy reach.
If you're making your own tortillas, do that now! I haven't got a recipe for them on our blog but if you're keen to learn how, you can watch me make them on Instagram.
Rest your tortillas wrapped tight in a tea towel while you bring the rest of the meal together.
It's time to make your guacamope! Add all of your ingredients to your blender but only use the juice of 1 limes to start with. Pulse your blender until it's a paste texture - you don't want it to be a liquid! You can a little water if you need to loosen it up.
Taste and add the rest of the lime juice if you want more tang, or need to bring the heat down a little. You can also add more honey if it's too spicy.
Pat the skin side of your fish dry with paper towel and brush oil liberally on the skin, this is going to help it crisp up.
Place skin side down on your BBQ and close the lid, you'll cook the fish almost all the way with the skin facing down.
When almost cooked through, gently use a fish slice to flip each fillet over, and finish cooking through.
The skin should be blistered, possibly a little charred and most importantly, lovely and crispy! Getting the temperature of your BBQ right can take a little practice, so don't give up if you have one or two nightmare cooks - with tacos it really doesn't matter if you make a mess of the fish getting it off the BBQ.
Head inside, it's time to pull your tacos together.
If you're using shop-bough tacos, heat them up now.
Cut your sea bass fillets into strips about a thumbs width, making sure to keep the skin side up to avoid it going soggy.
On each taco, spread a heaped dessert spoon full of your guacamopea right to the edges. Pile up around half a fillet of see bass, add pickled onions, fresh coriander and your choice of hot sauce - I always use Cholula with this meal because it's got a lovely flavour without being too spicy - and some fresh coriander for a pop of green.
You're done and it's time to enjoy - we love this one, and we hope you do too!
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