Honey-Soy Salmon, Coconut + Crispy Kale Tacos

Who doesn’t love a soft taco? Really, is there anything as quick, fresh and oh so satisfying as a bunch of fresh and tasty things wrapped up in a soft, warm tortilla? No is the answer.

This is my mash-up of a soft taco. Take some Chinese flavours, mix them with Mexican techniques and add some locally grown produce and you get a delicious collision of flavours. My Honey-Soy Salmon, Coconut + Crispy Kale Taco features a tasty little mound of healthy goodies – black rice, crisp shredded kale, toasted coconut, avocado, orange, and honey-soy baked salmon – all piled high on a soft tortilla. Fusion, world food, contemporary – call it what you want – the main thing is that my remix provides a spark for your own recipe or adaptation. In short, this is a recipe designed to get the juices flowing.

1 x 200g salmon fillet

1 tbsp honey

1½ tbsp tamari or soy sauce

¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

½ tbsp rice wine vinegar

½ tbsp freshly grated ginger

2 cups chopped kale, stems trimmed

½ cup coconut flakes – organic and unsweetened

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1½ olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

2 cups cooked black rice

1 orange, segmented and broken into bite sized bits

½ ripe avocado, cubed into small bite sized bits

4 small soft tortillas

Preheat the oven to 180C

In a baking dish, combine the honey, tamari, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and ginger. Whisk to combine. Add the salmon fillet and turn over once or twice in the marinade to make sure the fish is well coated. Pop into the fridge to marinate for at least 15 minutes while you get on with the kale.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil and tamari. Pop the chopped kale and coconut flakes into a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil dressing. Spread the kale and coconut evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the coconut is nicely golden and the kale has crisped up a little, tossing once or twice during the bake-time.

Remove from oven and set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 220C and turn on the oven-grill – if you have one. Place the salmon on a baking tray lined with foil and bake in the oven until cooked to your liking – about 8 minutes is how I like mine – and the marinade has caramalised and turned gorgeous and sticky. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

To assemble, place a spoonful or two of the black rice onto each tortilla. Next, sprinkle some of the crispy kale, then some of the orange and avocado. Flake the salmon gently over the top of each tortilla and then finish with another sprinkling of the kale and coconut. Wrap + bite + enjoy.

Makes enough for 4 small tacos