Kapes' Kitchen: Ultimate Salmon Tacos

Friday night, MikeDub and I were called in to cook for a couple of friends. One of our nearest and dearest is 9 months pregnant, and needed a break from culinary duties. We relished this opportunity; this couple has an amazing kitchen, and let me tell you, standing on opposite sides of an island sure beats wondering if you're going to lose a limb when your partner walks through the kitchen with a knife.

I called ahead, a good tip for when you're cooking for someone new, or someone who may have special needs. I inquired if my pregnant friend was OK with salmon. Due to the mercury content of fish in our increasingly toxic environment, consumption should be limited. During pregnancy, this is especially important. Well, salmon just happens to be our friend's favorite fish, and it is the one maritime friend that she will make the exception for (fortunately, it is also a "lower mercury" choice).

I've been working to perfect this dish for six months, since the night I dreamed it up based on some random items in the fridge.  I think it is close to perfect, but you should leave suggestions if you come up with something better, or have a favorite twist on it.  The "secret" of this dish is developing the toppings to suit your taste. Nearly all of the prep can be done ahead of time, making this an outstanding choice for a dinner party dish. Just prior to serving, the fish should be prepared, along with as many tortillas as needed. Remember, making tortillas for a few guests does take a bit of time. I recommend starting the tortillas a few minutes prior to cooking the fish. Having two pans for tortillas isn't a bad idea if you have a full house.

All of the crucial ingredients are pictured here, except for the avocado (dad-to-be had to grab those on his trip home):

ULTIMATE SALMON FISH TACOS

Slaw
1/4 of a purple cabbage, shaved thin
2 large carrots, shaved thinly with a peeler
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of lime juice
pepper to taste
2 scallions (green onions), chopped

Combine everything but the scallions. Using a spoon, stir the mixture until the cabbage is coated with the oil and vinegar. When preparing the slaw ahead of time, stir well just before serving. I like to top with the scallions last minute; it makes it look fancy :)  May be prepared the night before.

Pico De Gallo
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper. diced finely
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed, chopped finely
juice of 1 lime
salt

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
One jar of your favorite salsa (HEB roasted salsa is the best!
One roasted red pepper (you can buy these in a jar, or make your own)

I just throw everything in a blender and hit pulse a few times.  

Fixin's
one large avocado, sliced and sprinkled with lime juice (mandatory, unless you are allergic to avocado)
sour cream (optional)
hot peppers, or other spicy stuff
whatever else you like to put on tacos...

ALL OF THE ABOVE MAY BE PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME

Fish and Tortillas
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. of super-fresh, wild caught salmon: Just under a pound serves two with leftovers, and just over a pound served five of us (if you include baby-on-the-way)
olive oil for brushing, salt and pepper
raw flour tortillas (HEB shoppers: get Guerrero tortillas [pictured], which can be found in the bread aisle. You should not be using anything else for flour tortillas.)

The salmon can be cooked either on the stove or in the oven.  When cooking for just MikeDub and I, I like to do stove top.  In this TX heat, it's much more convenient not to turn on the oven. 

Stove Top: Place fish skin-side down in a saucepan and add just enough water to steam. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Top the salmon with limes, cilantro, onions, etc. (Personally, I like the flavor cilantro gives the fish–add this during the final couple minutes of cooking so that it doesn't wilt.)  Heat the water to boiling on medium high heat.  Simmer, covered, on medium to medium–low heat for about 10-15 minutes.  When the white lines in the fish just start to run, the fish should be done.  It should be flaky in the center; check with a fork.

Oven: Preheat oven to 400 ºF.  Place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet (for easier cleaning cover with foil).  Brush the fish lightly with oil, and then top with vegetables or spices (see above).  Check the fish after 10 min of cooking (just over a pound of fish took 15 minutes).  Check for doneness as described above.