Miami Heat Gets Out of the Kitchen: Grilled Fish Tacos

Last week, television travels took me to Miami. I’m getting better at traveling now; I have smaller bottles of shampoo, I travel with Netflix and I bring music. I’m even tossing a few scented candles in the sack to give it all a home away from home feel. That said, I still like to give myself up to the culture of the city, and see what it has to teach me.

As soon as I got to the hotel, I found my travel pal Ninotchka, and we agreed that the rooms had a distinctly sex vibe. Not sexy mind you, just sex. There were black and white photos of body parts, and the place looked as if it was cleaned with a hose. My brain took me for a tilt-a-whirl ride when I learned that mattresses double their weight every ten years thanks to the absorption and retention of dust mites and such. Ick.

Our courtyard was pleasantly provocative, with tables and chairs, inviting beds (!), gauzy white canopies and tall plants. But this bed-centric design was not unique to our hotel; it was everywhere in Miami clubs, hotels and restaurants. The place had evolved from Deco to Bordello.

I was here for 10 days and determined to make it work. Sure, there were some loud pool parties when we got home from the shoot, and heck, I even tried to instigate some fun myself with a little late night pool hopping. T’was Miami after all; if you’re having business meetings in your bikini and drinks at the Delano, might as well play by different rules.

Everything rolled just this side of appropriate until our second to last day. When we returned to the courtyard, there was a party attended by lots of well-dressed women in their 40s and 50s; oddly wearing platform stilettos, the kind favored by strippers. The men of the group had big smiles, shaved heads, and were constantly clicking their cameras.

It was a friendly group, eager to have us join them for a drink, but the free drinks at the bar were also beckoning. So much free booze; and only one little me.

I went to my room, changed, and when I walked out, was greeted by four ample breasts and a man eagerly clicking away. Needing a drink more than ever, I navigated my way through the courtyard which had been transformed into some sort of a naked playhouse; women were hanging from the canopies and men were snapping away.

I found my way to the clothing not-optional bar, and had a stiff drink. My colleagues gathered, all having made it through the same labyrinth. As it turned out; we weren’t the only ones on business. This group was having a national event for a voyeuristic web site, doing what they do best; taking it off and snapping what remained.

It was a bit much after a day of making quick meals for tots; after several (dozen) sangrias, my colleagues and I decided to join the party. We kept our clothes on, but used the opportunity to learn more about a group I heretofore knew little about. And so I present to you:

TEN THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT VOYEURS IN MIAMI:

10. No one uses their real name.
9. You wear bands on your wrists to indicate whether or not you want photos taken.
8. Voyeurs are eager to recruit, but back off quickly.
7. Voyeurs are some of the friendliest folk I met in Miami.
6. When the clothes are on, voyeur men are rather preppy.
5. The over-50 woman can have an incredible body.
4. Positive body image goes a long way to making a traditionally not-attractive person sexy.
3. Having a voyeur party in a largely Hasidic neighborhood works for everyone; some of these men were born to lurk.
2. After these parties, just say no to the workout room. You don’t want to know where that mirror has been.
1. Nothing good happens after 2AM.

Though it took me a few deep breaths to come to terms with all the flesh, I got used to it. As long as folks are respectful of other’s limits and boundaries, these two groups (those who watch, and those who like to be watched) have found each other, and god bless ‘em. Not exactly my cup of tea, but then again, not everyone likes lamb tagine, so who am I to judge?

Back to the day job, I was helping families make quick dinners on the grill. Grilled fish tends to be most people’s bugaboo, as it tends to flake, stick and fall apart. I came up with a neat idea for transforming the grill into a griddle so that homemakers can enjoy “grilling” tilapia. Because in Miami, if you can’t stand the heat…

Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa and Chipotle Sour Cream
By Allison Fishman

For Fish Tacos:
4 (4 or 5-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 1/4 cups Pepper-Lime Marinade (recipe below)
16 corn tortillas
Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe below)
1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
Corn Salsa (recipe below)

Special Equipment:
Heavy-duty aluminum foil

Place fish in a resealable plastic bag, and pour marinade over the fish. Push all the air out of the bag and seal, turning the fish in the marinade to coat. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Coat a 12 x 16-inch piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and place, coated side up, on the grill. Place fish on foil and cook with the grill cover down, turning once, until completely opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove fish from the grill and slice into 1-inch strips.
During the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking, place the corn tortillas on a cooler part of the grill, to warm.
To assemble a fish taco, layer two warm tortillas on a napkin or paper towel in your hand, overlapping about 2 inches. Spread about 2 teaspoons of chipotle sour cream on the tortillas, add a few tilapia pieces, sprinkle with romaine lettuce leaves, and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of corn salsa. Eat out of hand, and enjoy!


Makes 8 fish tacos; serves 4 to 6

Pepper-Lime Marinade
By Allison Fishman

2 limes, juice and zest of 1 lime
1 lemon
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium bowl, combine lime juice and lemon juice (you should have about 1/2 cup), and the zest of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon). Whisk in olive oil; add cilantro, garlic, black pepper and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.


Corn Salsa
By Allison Fishman

2 large ears of fresh corn
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 scallion greens, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Pepper-Lime Marinade (recipe above), or any other citrus dressing you like
Salt and pepper, to taste

Shuck corn, and remove kernels by standing ears tall, on a flat surface, and using the blade of a chefs knife to strip the kernels from the corn.
Place corn kernels in a medium bowl with tomatoes and scallion greens. Drizzle 2 tablespoons marinate on top, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Chipotle Sour Cream
By Allison Fishman

1 cup sour cream
1 chipotle, chopped
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chipotle and sauce. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.