Salmon Tacos With Greens and Tomatillo Salsa

- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound salmon or arctic char fillets
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1bunch spinach or chard (about ¾ pound), stemmed and washed well in 2 changes of water
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2garlic cloves (to taste), minced
- 1 to 3serrano or jalapeño chiles (to taste), minced
- 1cup cooked tomatillo salsa (see recipe)
- 2 to 3ounces crumbled queso fresco or feta (optional)
- Shredded cabbage (optional)
- 8 to 10corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil the foil. Place the salmon or arctic char on top. Season with salt and gently rub the salt into the surface of the salmon. Add pepper to taste. Fill a roasting pan or cake pan halfway with boiling water and place it on the oven floor. Place the fish in the oven and bake 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness), until white beads of protein appear on the surface and the fish can be pulled apart with a fork. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can handle it. If desired, scrape away the white protein beads, then flake the fish and place in a bowl. Discard the skin. Season the fish well with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
Steam the spinach or chard just until wilted, about 1 minute for spinach, 2 minutes for chard, or blanch in boiling salted water (20 seconds for spinach, about 1 minute for chard). Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and, taking the greens up by the handful, squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine.
- Step 3
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy, medium size skillet and add the garlic and chile. Stir until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the greens and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and toss in the pan for about a minute, until nicely infused with the oil, garlic and chile. Remove from the heat and add to the fish. Stir in ½ cup of the salsa. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Step 4
Heat the tortillas: wrap in a kitchen towel and place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and steam 1 minute. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes without uncovering. Top the hot tortillas with the fish. Spoon on a little more salsa and if desired, garnish with crumbled cheese and shredded cabbage. Fold the tortillas over and serve.
- Advanced preparation: The salsa will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can oven steam the fish several hours ahead and the steamed spinach will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
Private Notes
Comments
This was really tasty! I used high quality canned salmon (Costco sells a great canned salmon) and it worked perfectly. Also, to save some time, skip blanching the greens. Instead, chop the greens finely and add after the garlic and chile, then stir and cover with a lid for two minutes. Great with a good smoky hot sauce on top. Super easy weeknight meal!
Sooo delicious! To make this recipe easier for a quick weeknight dinner, I ignore steps 1-3 and instead cook the main ingredients in one skillet: first olive oil, garlic and raw salmon. When the salmon is cooked through I throw in some handfuls of raw spinach and tomatillo salsa and simmer until the spinach is wilted. It’s done in 10 minutes.
I love this recipe! I've always used cooked, drained fresh spinach ( 1 1/2 to double what the recipe calls for) when I've made it and it. I also left out the cheese. I recommend that you use the shredded cabbage as it gives the whole thing a nice crunch. The flavors are very bold and these are a wonderful, different way to have fish tacos.
Very good, super simple for a weeknight. I already had homemade tomatillo salsa, so that of course sped it up. And I do recommend chard over spinach, the milder flavor will work better with the fish.
As the father of three born-n-raised Californians, I was told by my middle one that, while what I served for dinner was delicious, it was not a taco; it was a canapé. Be forewarned, this dish surrenders its California taco cred at the door (and tastes great).
This was OK, but it wasn't wonderful. I made it because I had all the ingredients. My husband was less than enthusiastic. We both found it adequate but uninspiring.
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