Alexina says: “This is a versatile recipe: equally as perfect for a weeknight dinner as it is for a weekend taco party (simply scale up the quantities). It has a lovely balance of flavours and textures: spice and bitterness from charred salmon and fresh grapefruit, acidity from lime, freshness from cucumber, creaminess from avocado and crunch from radishes.

I am indebted to Milli Taylor for this way of cooking salmon, which ensures a crisp, charred outside and juicy inside.

If you opt for traditional corn tortillas (made with masa harina), this recipe becomes gluten-free.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, about 150–200g (5–7oz) each, skinned and pin-boned
for the spice rub
½ tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli flakes) 1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
for the avocado crema
juice of 1 lime, or to taste
¼ tsp fine sea salt
30g (1oz/2 tbsp) creamed coconut (or coconut cream)
1 tbsp freshly boiled water (omit if using coconut cream)
flesh of 1 avocado
20g (¾oz) fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves and stalks
1 green chilli, deseeded
1cm (½in) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
½ small garlic clove, grated
½ tsp maple syrup
for the grapefruit salsa
1 red grapefruit, peeled, segmented and roughly chopped
10 radishes, trimmed and quartered
½ cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons
pinch of flaky sea salt

To serve:

9–12 tacos (soft or hard, according to preference) or tostadas
small handful of mint leaves
small handful of pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted

Equipment:

stick blender or food processor

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line a baking tray with foil.

To make the spice rub, toast and grind the cumin seeds, then combine with the paprika, oregano, cayenne and garlic powder, and mix with the salt, maple syrup and oil to form a paste. Lay the salmon ﬁllets on the baking tray and coat with the spice rub (use your hands).

Heat a heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a high heat until very hot, then add the salmon ﬁllets and sear well on all sides (45–60 seconds per side). Return the salmon ﬁllets to the baking tray. (You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your tray – you don’t want to crowd them as this will prevent you getting a good crust on your salmon.)

Transfer the salmon to the oven, cook for 5 minutes, then remove to rest.

For the avocado crema, I ﬁnd it easiest to use a stick blender. Simply combine the ingredients in a tall container (or jug) and blend until thick and creamy. If using a food processor, use the small bowl: combine the lime juice, salt, coconut cream and boiled water and blend until smooth, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Add more lime juice or salt, to taste, or an extra splash of water, if needed, to get the right consistency.

For the grapefruit salsa, combine the ingredients in a small serving bowl and mix gently.

When ready to serve, warm through your tacos, if liked. Then put all the elements in the middle of the table and allow everyone to build their own. To build a taco, I recommend a spoonful of the avocado crema, followed by the salsa, then ﬂakes of salmon. Garnish with mint leaves and a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds.

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