After enjoying Austin’s food culture, we moved the tiny house on wheels to the Texas Gulf. The final destination was Surfside Beach which is on Follet’s Island, an island bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Freeport Harbor. The population of Surfside is around 900, give or take.
The homes up and down the Coast are built on stilts which is a strident reminder of the hardships that mother nature doles out to this part of the country. Though, the brightly color exteriors of the houses seem to be the inhabitants’ way to thumb their noses at the inevitability of the next flood.
When we arrived the tide was high, the waves crashed relentlessly against the shore, and the wind churned the fine sand, pushing it into and through every crack or small opening in its wake. But the sky was clear and the sun was warm.
When you think of Texas, your mind more than likely conjures images of cowboys, longhorns, and BBQ. But all along the Coast, which is considerable, it’s all about the seafood. Seafood markets and oyster houses outnumber BBQ joints.
Join us on the beach and enjoy the recipe that we think celebrates that part of Texas quite deliciously!
Gulf Coast Tacos
Serves: (4) • Prep: (15 minutes) • Cook Time: (7 minutes)
Teeming with fresh seafood options, the Gulf Coast of Texas inspired this taco. It’s filled with white fish and shrimp seasoned with a Texas-inspired spice blend. Finished off with a sprinkling of cilantro, marinated radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice they’ll have you doing Eric’s happy dance, too.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 pound white fish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces - we used lane snapper
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined, Gulf Coast if you can find them
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 Corn Tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Marinated radishes slices
Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Mix well.
Season the fish and shrimp with the spice blend.
In a large skillet or work, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Add the shrimp and fish. Cook until the shrimp have just turned pink and the fish is opaque, about 7 minutes. Stir frequently.
Serve with the warmed tortillas, cilantro, radishes and lime wedges.
Note: I make easy marinated radishes buy saving the brine from pickled jalapeños and adding thinly sliced radishes to the brine and allowing to marinate in the refrigerator over night.
We would love to connect with you
AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, subscribe to the As We Eat Journal, or listen to the As We Eat Podcast.
Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com
And while you at it, subscribe to our new 👉🏻 As We Eat, Going Places channel on YouTube 👈🏻 to follow Leigh and Eric’s tasty travels across the country.
Thank you for joining the adventures of As We Eat, Going Places. This post is public so feel to share it with a friend - or three :)