Salmon Tacos

Chili and cumin are mixed together to add a hint of flavour to the Salmon Tacos before cooked. Easy to make and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!

Salmon Tacos

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A History of Seafood

Growing up in British Columbia, daughter of a man who liked to go fishing, I was introduced to all kinds of seafood. On the islands of Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) we would go digging for razor clams.

In Port Edward just outside of Prince Rupert, we used to catch crab off the docks, which I’ve learned over the years no longer exist beyond the poles that held the docks. The large sized dungeness crab we would catch would get cooked up that evening and consumed. In PR we’d pick up spot prawns.

This man would go out by boat with friends on the Douglas Channel near Kitimat and come home with any variety of octopus, red snapper, ling cod, halibut and more depending on what was biting.

Of course there was always river and lake fishing for a variety of salmon depending on what season it was. While he didn’t bring much to my life as a father, he did bring an appreciation for seafood and fresh fish into my life.

Me & My Salmon Loving Family

My own little family has been eating salmon since they were born and it’s one of their favourite things. The best way to serve salmon is to keep the flavours simple and not over power the flavour of the salmon by serving it with something stronger.

We prepared this salmon for the tacos with a light dusting of chili powder, cumin and salt. It is seared in a saute pan and broken into large pieces for the tacos.

I am a self confessed salmon snob and very picky about my salmon. Salmon season in British Columbia is May – September, sometimes October & November. During the winter months we would buy our salmon. Living in Alberta, we also buy our salmon. Here are some tried and true tips to get you started on buying your own salmon.

PRO TIPS

• FRESH IS BEST. I’ve been eating salmon for over 50 years and will wrestle anyone who challenges this. Yes frozen is a good alternative however salmon is not always as fresh picked vegetables and it has to be frozen properly which is not always the case.
• SMELL the fish before you buy it. Always. If it’s old it will smell fishy.
• RESEARCH where your salmon comes from. Is it farmed? Farmed can contain all kinds of crap in the water like pollution, the fish can not move around like in their natural habitat because of crowding and are typically given antibiotics amongst other things. You really want to eat that?
• SUNTERRA MARKET in Alberta sources organic King Chinook Salmon raised without antibiotics in Tofino. Know the facts about where your salmon comes from.
• When in doubt buy WILD SALMON.
• SUPPORT YOUR OCEAN. If you live in the Western Provinces buy Pacific Salmon. Seriously it’s so annoying to live in Alberta and have an abundance of Atlantic Salmon (5+ hour flight) and very little Pacific Salmon (1 hr 2o min flight). 5 hour vs less than 2 hour flight – see Tip #1.
• When BUYING a whole salmon, the eyes should be bright and not cloudy.
• Salmon is more than just sushi. Learn how to cook it and enjoy it other ways than raw.
• When buying your salmon ensure you purchase a big enough piece of filet based on how many people you are feeding. For example we fed five so our salmon filet was large and cut into six smaller pieces from the filet.
• Citrus salsas are delicious with salmon whether in tacos or not. Replace mango with pineapple or papaya if you are not a mango fan.

If I’ve got you excited about salmon, check out these salmon recipes:

• Salmon with Maple Syrup & Rosemary
• Sweet & Spicy Grilled Salmon
• Pancetta & Lemon Salmon
• Smoked Salmon

Learn more about British Columbia salmon by visiting their website: BC Salmon.

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker