Yellow tail, grilled and served over corn tortillas. That’s how Manuel started to describe his fish taco presentation at “Tequila Sunrise”. He had me there, then he went on to describe the garlic and herb marmalade that makes these tacos so perfect.

Manuel is the owner of the Tequila Sunrise restaurant in Todos Santos, on Baja Sur, Mexico. The son of an Italian father and Mexican mother, he has arranged his local/organic offerings to represent both traditions.In the case of this fish taco, he grills the fish simply on a flat top before transferring it to plated, warm corn tortillas. What makes it special is the garlic and herb marmalade. Surprised at how mild the garlic was, I asked him if it was a special variety and he explained the trick. The garlic is diced and combined with diced chili (poblano pepper), red pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley — all organic and purchased from his friends in Todos Santos.

Once all of the ingredients are combined they’re covered with olive oil and stored in a cool/dark room for 30 days. When orders come in the chef strains the “marmalade” at room temperature and spreads it over the fish.

Another item that enhances his plates is a flavorful organic brown rice. He follows an Italian technique that involves mixing dry rice with balsamic and olive oil in advance of the cooking process. When the rice is cooked, they begin with an aromatic blend of finely diced carrot, onion and zucchini
in the pan over medium heat until soft, then the rice is added followed by twice as much chicken stock.