I try really hard not to put anything fried into my cooking column, but after working on this recipe I felt the need to spread the love. A while back I preached the idea of fish stick tacos as a cheap alternative to straight ground beef. Adding fried tortillas and fresh guacamole just made the dish pop, so it was worth putting in the paper again. The best part is the sheer size and amount of ingredients packed into each taco makes it easy to stop at two.

Ingredients

8 soft flour tortillas

32 fish sticks (I suggest Gorton’s extra crunchy, which evens out to two boxes)

2 avocados

1 packet of guacamole mix

1 jar of restaurant style salsa

Vegetable oil

Taco fixings of your choice (diced tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese and sour cream are some favorites)

1. The fish sticks: Preheat your oven and follow cooking instructions on the fish sticks box. Most boxes require about 17 minutes at 425 degrees. Make sure to flip the sticks halfway through cooking.

2. The guacamole: Use a knife to slice the avocado in half, then peel away the skin and pit as well. In a mixing bowl, add guacamole seasoning and use a fork to press avocado into a paste. Stir to blend seasoning. Add 1/4 cup of salsa to dip.

3. The tortillas: Use a large frying pan and fill with about a half inch of vegetable oil. Once oil is heated, put in a single tortilla and allow it to puff. Soak for about 20 seconds on each side, then remove from oil. Lay each tortilla on a plate covered in paper towels, and form into a taco before it cools.

4. The taco: Add four fish sticks into each tortilla. Add fixings and serve.

Call Corianne Egan, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8652 or follow @CoriEgan on Twitter.