Ingredients
Shells and rice
- 4 sheets nori cut in half to make 8 shells
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g cornstarch
- 180 ml ice-cold water
- 1 liter neutral frying oil or enough for a 3 cm depth in a 20 cm deep saucepan; includes the oil needed for the frying bath
- 400 g cooked short-grain rice freshly cooked or safely chilled, gently reheated until steaming
- 15 ml unseasoned rice vinegar
- 5 g sugar
- 2 g fine salt divided
Filling and sauce
- 400 g skinless boneless salmon cut into 2 cm cubes
- 150 g cucumber cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 medium avocado about 150 g flesh, sliced
- 45 g mayonnaise
- 10 g sriracha adjust to taste
Equipment
- 1 20 cm deep heavy saucepan never fill more than halfway with oil
- 1 frying thermometer
- 1 Instant-read food thermometer
- 1 rimmed sheet pan for the salmon
- 1 wire rack over a tray
- 1 long metal tongs
- mixing bowls, whisk, knife and cutting board
Instructions
Prepare the filling
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Put the warm cooked rice in a bowl. Fold in the rice vinegar, sugar and 1 g of the salt without crushing the grains. Let it stand while you prepare the fish; do not leave it sitting out for longer than needed.
- Spread the salmon cubes on a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan and season with the remaining 1 g salt. Roast for about 8–12 minutes, until the centers reach 145°F (63°C) on a food thermometer. Wash any tools and surfaces that touched raw fish. While it cooks, mix the mayonnaise with the sriracha and prepare the cucumber and avocado.
Fry and assemble
- Pour oil to a depth of about 3 cm in the deep saucepan, staying below its halfway mark. Heat to 350°F (175°C). Set a wire rack over a tray nearby. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and ice-cold water briefly; small lumps are fine. Keep water away from the hot oil.
- Work one or two shells at a time without crowding. Brush or dip one side of each nori half in a thin coat of batter. Using long metal tongs, lower it into the oil, battered side down, and gently hold it in a loose U shape for the first 10–15 seconds as it sets. Keep hands clear of the oil. Fry for about 1–2 minutes, turning carefully as needed, until the batter is pale golden and firm. Drain upright on the rack. Return the oil to 350°F between batches.
- Divide the seasoned rice, cooked salmon, cucumber and avocado among the 8 shells. Add the sriracha mayonnaise just before serving. Serve promptly while the shells are crisp.
Video
Notes
Makes 8 tacos, 4 servings of 2 tacos. Timing assumes the salmon cooks while the filling and oil are prepared and the shells are fried in small batches. Handle hot oil with long tongs, use a deep stable pan and keep water away. Do not substitute raw fish in these instructions. Contains fish, wheat, egg and possibly soy; check nori, mayonnaise and sriracha labels. Keep filling refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or colder until needed. Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Filled shells are best eaten immediately. A precise nutrition estimate is unavailable because frying-oil absorption is unmeasured.
Video credit: Home Cooks World / Noa Shapiro. The video demonstrates battered nori taco shells. This version uses an egg-free flour-and-cornstarch batter and fully cooked salmon rather than the video's batter and filling preparation.