Salmon Tacos and Hard Cider

I have yet to find a food that doesn’t pair well with hard cider. That is often because you can have so many different styles of cider. However, I always enjoy cider with seafood. I have written several other articles about seafood and cider. just search the website or review the experiences page for more. So when my wife said she was making salmon tacos, I knew exactly what cider i was putting with it. I thought the perfect pair would be an adjunct cider mistelle that I made last season. Since I knew she would bring some heat to the party given we just found some organic Fresno chilies, I knew I would have to do the same. My Ruby Reaper cider mistelle was the perfect choice.

For the food, think tender salmon topped with chopped arugula, crumbled feta, avocado, and a salsa ”naranja” made with tomatillos and spicy Fresno chilis. Wrap it all up in a fresh corn tortilla and serve it with some air fryer corn trimmed off the cob. Don’t forget some chips, salsa, and a glass of Ruby Reaper cider. It’s a feast to impress. Just be warned, it brings the heat but all in a good way. A way that says, is there seconds? Here is some eye candy before we get into the details.

Salmon Tacos

Servings: 4-6 Serving

Ingredients:

1 Pound Salmon Fillet
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Lime Zest
1 Clove Garlic, Diced
2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Chopped
8 Corn Tortillas
1 Cup Arugula, Chopped
1 Avocado, Cubed
1/3 Cup Feta Cheese, Crumbled
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, Chopped

Steps:

1. Place the fillet on a foil lined pan, skin side down.
2. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and garlic and spoon onto the salmon.
3. Salt and pepper the fillet, sprinkle with cilantro, and bake in a 400F (204C) for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the salmon from the skin and break into chunks.
5. Spread the salmon chunks on corn tortillas and top with chopped arugula, avocado, feta cheese, a drizzle of salsa, and some fresh cilantro. (Note: We use feta because we can get an organic version.)
6. Serve warm.

Air Fryer Corn

Ingredients:

Steps:

1. Shuck the corn ears and rinse under cold water.
2. Drizzle oil on each ear and rub to distribute the oil.
3. Season the ears with salt and pepper.
4. Place in your air fryer basket or on a wire rack if using your convection oven. Avoid having the ears touch.
5. Bake at 370F (188C) for 12-15 minutes.
6. Slice corn off the cob, sprinkle with paprika, feta cheese, and diced cilantro. If you like eating your corn from the cob, skip the step of slicing it off and just sprinkle on the toppings.

Salsa ”Naranja”

Ingredients:

1 Pound Tomatillos, De-Husk and Rinse
3-4 Cloves Unpeeled Garlic
2 Fresno Pepper
2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Cilantro
1 Lime, Juice

Steps:

1. Remove stems from tomatillos and Fresno peppers and place along with the unpeeled galic cloves on a foil lined baking sheet.
2. Sprinkle olive oil over tomatillos, peppers, and garlic and mix with your hands to cost evenly.
3. Roast at 500F (260C) for 15 minutes or until skins of the tomatillos and peppers blister and turn black.
4. Cool the vegetables and remove the blacken skin of the peppers and tomatillos. Place in blender. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the blender.
5. Add the salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice to blender and blend until desired consistency is reached (chunky or smooth).
6. Serve with chips and use as a garnish for the tacos.

Ruby Reaper Cider Mistelle

It’s complex. It’s also spicy. I used a tart apple but stopped the fermentation early by fortifying it. I did this by adding organic tequila, pink grapefruit, lime, and a concentrated tea of Carolina Reaper and chipotle peppers. You get all those flavors in this cider mistelle and it goes so well with Mexican food. It was a perfect paring for this spicy meal of tacos and corn. You can check out the recipe here. In case you don’t have time to make your own ciders, try one of these commercial options.

Did you enjoy this article? Follow me so you can get more ides on pairing hard ciders with food as well as ideas and tips for making and experiencing hard cider. Also, if you want to learn more about making hard cider, get my book. It covers all things hard cider as well as food and cider pairings like above.

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