B.C. Sockeye salmon is in season, and one of my favourite ways to enjoy salmon fillets is in a taco, dressed up with tasty toppings.
With summer in full swing, I decided to cook my fish on the barbecue. Before cooking, I cut the salmon fillets, widthwise, into about 1 1/2-inch wide pieces; small portions of fish that nicely fit inside a taco.
For the tacos, I used fresh corn tortillas, which are sold at most supermarkets. Before filling, you need to warm the tortillas up in the oven or on your grill so they are bendable and more receptive to the salmon and its toppings.
Those toppings include a full-flavoured salsa filled with bits of buttery avocado and grilled corn. Also mixed into my salsa were some grilled, skinned and chopped jalapeño pepper, cherry tomatoes, citrus juice and zest, onions, cilantro and spices.
My second topping for the salmon tacos is smoky lime maple crema. Crema is a Mexican-style mixture similar to French-style crème fraîche: a thickened, slightly soured cream. In my version of it, I used sour cream and gave it a smoky, tangy and sweet taste by mixing in smoked paprika, lime juice and a touch of maple syrup. That combination of flavours nicely complemented the taste of the salmon.
If you don’t have a barbecue or indoor grill, the salmon taco and salsa recipes give you the option to cook the fish, corn and jalapeño required for them in the oven.
The salmon taco recipe yields six servings, two tacos eachz. Mix up some margaritas to serve with them and you’ll create a nice summer dinner. For a more filling meal, add some side dishes, such as refried beans and Mexican-style rice.
Grilled Salmon Tacos
Accent the flavour of these grilled salmon-filled tacos by topping them with the salsa and crema recipes you find below.
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: six to seven minutes
Makes: six servings (two tacos each)
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus some for the grill
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
Pinch cayenne pepper
700 grams sockeye salmon fillets, cut, widthwise, into 12 (about 1 1/2-inch wide) pieces
• salt to taste
12 (six-inch round) soft corn tortillas
1 cup very thinly sliced green or red cabbage
• lime slices for garnish
24 to 36 small, fresh cilantro sprigs, or to taste
Preheat barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Combine 2 Tbsp olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano and cayenne in a small bowl. Brush each piece of salmon with the oil mixture and set on plate. Season the salmon with salt.
Cut two, 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil. Stack six tortillas in the centre of each piece of foil and wrap them up. Set tortillas in the oven to warm up eight to 10 minutes (see Eric’s options).
Meanwhile, generously oil bars of your grill. Set on salmon, skin-side-up. Cook four to five minutes undisturbed. The salmon should easily release itself from the grill when ready to flip. Cook two minutes on the skin side, until just cooked through.
Set two tortillas on each of six plates. Set some cabbage and a piece of salmon on each tortilla. Garnish plate with lime slices. Let diners top their tacos with the grilled corn and avocado salsa, smoky lime maple crema and cilantro sprigs, to taste.
Eric’s options: Instead of warming the tortillas in the oven, set them, not wrapped in foil, on your grill to warm, about 30 to 60 seconds per side, until hot and bendable.
If you don’t have a grill, you could cook the salmon in the oven. To do so, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the oil brushed salmon, skin-side-down, on the baking sheet, leaving some space in between each piece. Bake the salmon in 375 F oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.
Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa
In this salsa, rich, buttery-tasting avocado is combined with the sweet, smoky taste of grilled corn, spicy jalapeño and mix of other complimentary tastes. Spoon it on your salmon tacos and serve any leftover with tortillas chips.
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking time: About five minutes
Makes: about two cups
1 medium corn on the cob, shucked
1 medium jalapeño pepper
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe, medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small cubes
6 to 8 cherry tomatoes, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• salt to taste
Preheat barbecue or indoor grill to medium-high. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, about five minutes. While the corn grills, also grill the jalapeño, until blistered on the outside.
When charred, set corn and jalapeño on a plate and cool to room temperature. Remove loose, charred skin from the jalapeño, and then finely chop the flesh and set in a bowl. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add them to jalapeño. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate salsa until needed. Can be made an hour or so before serving.
Eric’s options: If you don’t have a barbecue or grill, set the corn and jalapeño on a pan and broil in the oven, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, and then use as described in the recipe.
Smoky Lime Maple Crema
Drizzle this sour cream-based sauce on the salmon in your tacos and you’ll enhance it with pleasing smoky, tangy and sweet flavours.
Preparation time: a few minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: About 1 1/3 cup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• salt to taste
Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with the tacos. Can be made many hours before serving.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
