They say that one of the true marks of mastery is simplicity. And if there are two things we’re working really hard at mastering, it’s vacationing and fishing. 

We used to go on trips like we were on an expedition to Mars. Going to the beach- Tarpon lures? Check. Every rod we own? Check. As many coolers as would fit in the back of the truck? Check. Most of our spice rack, stock pots, steamer pots and a drawer’s worth of knives? Check. But as we’ve gotten better at fishing the spots we visit, the amount of fishing tackle we bring on our trips has gotten smaller and more curated. The same goes for our cooking supplies. We’re now down to 2 sharp knives, a cutting board, salt, pepper, some fish breading, and some Tonys. When you don’t have much to work with, you’ve got to get real good at what you’re doing. And we’re real good at tacos.

The vacation taco-only diet is simple. One giant batch of pico de gallo. Tortilla chips. Tortillas. One watermelon, that I will devour by myself because Wade won’t touch it. Fish, fish, shellfish, more fish. Whatever we catch goes into the cooler and then into a tortilla. Bluefish is prime right off the ice. Triggerfish tacos? Incredible. Rockfish? Amazing. 

So when Cameron helped us gather some beautiful bayside oysters, there was never any doubt about what we were having for dinner. This really isn’t a recipe so much as a lifestyle- if you’re on vacation, this is what you should be making.

Fried Oyster Tacos

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Shucked oysters (3-6 per taco)

Breading (we used saltine meal)

Oil for frying

Method:

Preheat frying oil. Season the breading with salt and pepper and dredge the oysters one at a time in the breading. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes total.

Serve over warm tortillas with pico de gallo and hot sauce.

This is also really good with some remoulade to top off the tacos.