My husband and I have two traditions when we visit St. Simons Island: dancing to live music at the Village Inn and Pub and ordering a dozen oysters from the Half Shell, slurping them down on the green near the lighthouse and chasing them with a fizzy drink.
The pandemic put a pause on my sideline as an Island Kings cover band groupie, but not oysters to-go. However, during our latest trip to the Golden Isles, I noticed open-face tuna tacos on the Half Shell menu. Described as “not your typical taco,” it piqued my curiosity.
Sesame-seared ahi tuna, crunchy sweet chili slaw and cilantro-lime cream perched on fried wonton wrappers is a tasty oceanside appetizer — unique yet uncomplicated enough that I was inspired to re-create it at home.
There’s a lot of room for variation. The restaurant makes its slaw with red cabbage; I used green because that’s what I had on hand, and I stirred in minced jalapeno rather than slicing them into thin rings as a garnish. Making the slaw first allows the flavors to meld while you fry the wontons and sear the fish.
The Half Shell presentation is flecked with white and black sesame seeds, but Japanese seasoning blend furikake gets you seeds plus briny sea flavor thanks to flecks of nori. Add a dab of wasabi if you want to ramp up the spice. Mexican crema or creme fraiche would approximate the original; I took the lazy route and grabbed a tub of sour cream.
This recipe comes together very quickly, so have all of your ingredients ready before you start.
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