I love salmon! I am always looking of new ways to incorporate this great healthy fish into my diet. Salmon is full of the omega-3’s you hear about and I try to eat it regularly. I wanted to do something different then my normal preparation, which usually includes some sort of Asian type marinade and is either baked or broiled. So I was on the hunt for what else I could do with Salmon. I have a great Hoisin Glazed Salmon with Bulgur in a steam pouch recipe that I make quite often (will probably be a future post), but I wanted something different.
I know grilling fish isn’t a new concept, but it was new to me. I have always been a little intimidated by grilling fish, so I have avoided it completely. I also wanted to steer away from my typical Asian marinade and do more of a chile, spice rub. I had the basic idea of what I wanted to make, but wanted to search the world wide web for some more inspiration. I came across this recipe from Eating Well to help me out. My recipe is loosely based/adapted from this. Once I found the recipe, I used all it’s accoutrements and adapted those as well. It may seem like a lot of things to make, but trust me; it is worth it to make them all! The cool sensation of the crema balances out the spice of the slaw with the freshness of the citrus. Darn right tasty!
Grilled Salmon Tacos, serves 4
Ingredients:
Salmon & Marinade:
1 lb Salmon
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin
½ Teaspoon Coriander
1 Teaspoon Red Chile Flake
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Lime, Juiced
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Black Pepper to taste
Cabbage Slaw:
½ package of slaw mix (preferably organic – you can make your own from shredded cabbage and carrots, I was a bit lazy)
½ medium red bell pepper, diced small
1-2 green onions finely sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro
Citrus Salsa:
3 navel oranges
1 lime
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 Serrano Chile, minced (I used the whole thing with seeds. If you don’t like heat, take the seeds out and only use half.)
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Grilled Avocado and Cilantro Crema:
½ cup nonfat organic plain yogurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1-2 green onions sliced thin
½ avacado
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions
1. Place all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, whisk to combine. Pull out Salmon from fridge. Coat skin side of fish with oil (to help prevent sticking on grill) and place in a glass-baking dish. Coat with marinade and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter while you make the other items. (No fear, the 30 minutes help bring the fish to room temperature and will cook more evenly).
2. Combine the ingredients for the slaw in a bowl and set aside.
3. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and the white pith from the oranges and lime. Over a bowl with a strainer set in, cut the orange and lime segments out. Cut them out by slicing them away from the membrane. When complete with each citrus, squeeze the remaining juice out of it and reserve.
4. Combine the Cilantro, Serrano Chile, Rice Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil and 2 tablespoons of the reserved citrus juice in a separate small bowl, whisk to combine. Salt and Pepper to taste. Be sure to taste it and add what is needed. Set dressing aside.
5. In another bowl (yes, you use a lot of bowls for this, but it is sure worth it!), stir to combine the yogurt, cilantro and green onion. Set aside.
6. Pre-heat grill for 5 minutes. Turn to medium heat. Lightly oil a paper towel and rub on grill. Place salmon on grill skin side down, not over direct flames. Place half of avocado on grill, flesh side down (keep peel on). Grill salmon & avocado for 8 minutes (per the Eating Well recipe, your salmon should be done, mine was not). At this time check your fish. Mine was not done, but it was starting to brown and char on the edges. I finished mine off in the oven at 400 F for 10 mins.
7. Peel your avocado and dice small. Combine into the Avocado Crema bowl and mash up till smooth. Salt and Pepper to taste.
8. When salmon is complete, flake with two forks.
9. I did not combine the dressing on the slaw or the salsa until the last minute and did it on individual portions to taste.
10. To Assemble: Heat up tortillas of choice. Place a bit salmon on each tortilla (depends on how big your tortillas are, but 1 lb. of salmon is good for 4 people). Top with a dollop of the avocado crema, some slaw and citrus salsa (with dressing to taste). Enjoy!
Cooking Notes that you may find helpful:
1. Grilling fish still scares me. I’m afraid it’s going to stick, fall apart or burn. My particular cut of salmon that I had on this occasion was super thick in the middle and thin on the edges so it didn’t cook evenly. I wanted that grilled flavor, but didn’t want to burn the thing. I cooked it for about 8 minutes on the grill till it was almost cooked, but not burned and then finished it off in the oven at 400 F for 10 mins. This will all depend on your cut of fish and your grill. Be sure to first oil the skin side of your fish liberally and oil your grill. I know the rule with meat is to not cut into it as you will let the juices run out, but with fish, I poke at it and flake it a little to see if it is cooked all the way through or not.
2. Picking your fish: I for some reason don’t trust the fish that you buy at the supermarket as being the best or the freshest. I like to go to local fish restaurants that sell fish or go straight to the wholesaler. For those of you in San Diego, here are the places I like to buy fish: The Fishery, Bay Park Fish Company, Point Loma Seafood Company and Catalina Offshore Products. Where I go depends on who has what in that day and where I am going to be. I try not to drive completely out of my way and waste gas. If I am going to be in the neighborhood of one particular store, then I’ll stop by. It helps to plan it out.
a. Salmon: Always look for a bright coral/pink color with absolutely no odor. Ask to smell it and ask for the exact piece you want. I ran into a problem when I went to the ‘fish market’ to get my fish on this particular occasion. When I went up to the counter, there was only one sad, pale, limpy looking piece left in the salmon section. It looked like it had been manhandled a few times and the flesh was torn. I told the guy at the counter I needed a pound, but asked if that was all he had. He pulled it out and set it on the scale. He must not of heard me. I asked again, if that was the last piece he had and he said no, there was more in the back and then continued to wrap it up. I had to stop him and say that I didn’t want that piece because it didn’t look the greatest. He gave me a rude look and huffed. He said he would have to fillet a new fish and that it would take him a bit. I said I didn’t mind because I wanted a good piece. He didn’t like my answer. So I made him fillet a fresh piece and let me tell you, it was so worth it! So fresh and moist.
b. Sustainable: I know some people just think this is a buzzword and all, but what ever you can do to help and from what I hear, they are better for you as well. Please see the link to Seafood Watch. You can even download an app for your iPhone and use it when you are out shopping. Check to make sure the fish you want to buy is sustainable.
3. Sprouted Grain Tortillas. I buy the Food for Life brand. I’m sure you can get them at most health food stores. Locally here in SD, I find them at Jimbos. You can substitute whole-wheat tortillas. The tortillas I get are actually quite large – more like burrito size, so I cut them down. I flip over my cereal bowl and with a sharp steak knife, cut a smaller circle out.
4. If you don’t want tacos at all, make it into a salad. Use the slaw as the base, top with salmon, crema, citrus and dressing.
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