Salmon Suggestions Wanted!

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lmas8

Assistant Cook
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
10
Does anyone have any suggestions on making salmon more interesting? I always just throw some garlic salt and paprika on it and bake it in the oven. I would love to try something new!
 
Pan fry it.

Wrap it in HD foil with some garlic, ginger, soy sauce, wine, scallions. Bake in a 400 F oven for about 15 minutes depending on size and shape.

Bread a filet with panko and fry it in oil.

Grill it.

Poach it and add it to a pasta dish.
 
fry it in lots of butter. Poach in white wine with lemon slices. Grill it. Raw in sushi. cold smoked. hot smoked. cured.....
 
thank you for the suggestions. That marinade sounds great. keep sending the salmon marinades:)
 
salmon comes in filets and steaks -

here's my favorite for steak cuts:

saute some fresh mushrooms & onion in a pan till soft
(could be onion, leeks, shallot, scallions . . )
remove from pan.

salt/pepper the steaks, sprinkle of lemon or lime juice
get the pan hot, bit butter
"sear" the steaks 2-3 minutes on each side - this should produce a brown crust layer.

put the steaks in a preheated 325'F oven, on a rack, topped with the mushroom/onion mixture, for 15 minutes or so.

the mushroom & onion topping can be considered just a 'base' for other tidbits - things I've used
diced red or green peppers
finely chopped pepperoni (! - yup, odd but tasty - don't overdo qty wise) same with anchovy - just a strip or two
chopped black olive
left over finely diced potato
panko
finely diced celery
'top' topping with a medium thick slice of fresh tomato
hint of smashed fresh garlic
garnish with fresh chopped chive or dill
 
This is one of the easiest and most impressive dishes I've ever created. It is always very popular for cooking class parties. It really does come out looking like a restaurant plate. It's from my book. There's a picture of it here. scroll down about half way. :)

Falafel-Crusted Salmon on a Bed of Spinach
This is a “restaurant-style” dish that is easy to make at home. It’s a very popular choice for my Cooking Class Parties, because almost everyone likes salmon. Everyone also wants to be able to present an impressive and delicious meal to family and friends with as little effort as possible.
6 servings
2 salmon fillets, about 1 pound each, skin removed
Dijon mustard
1 cup “Fantastic Falafel” mix
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground cumin
extra virgin olive oil (to film the pan)
2 additional tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 bags (10 ounces each) fresh spinach, stemmed, well washed and dried
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Cut each salmon fillet into 3 equal servings. Put a thin coat of mustard on top of each piece.

2.. In a small flat bowl or plate, blend falafel mix with pepper and cumin. Place both the fish and falafel plates near your cooking surface.

3. Film a large non-stick skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Dip the mustard side of each piece of salmon in the falafel mixture. Shake off excess and place in the hot oil, crumb-side down. Cook until almost done (and well browned) before turning the pieces over (about 4 minutes). Cook about 4 more minutes. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.


4. Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and sauté the onion until soft (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and sauté briefly. Add the well-dried spinach to the pan and cook until wilted. When the spinach is almost dry, add the balsamic vinegar and toss gently to coat the spinach.


5. Divide the spinach among 6 individual plates and arrange the salmon on top. Serve at once.
 
For something totally different - credit for this should go to the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest: Planked Salmon

The cedar plank adds a light resinous flavor that is like nothing else.
 
With fish such as salmon, halibut, etc. don't get carried away with using a lot herbs, spices or junk, otherwise you might as well be cooking tilapia, which has no flavor anyway, and is easier on the budget.

Keep it simple:
Pan frying WITH the skin, salt and pepper;
Broiling (salt, pepper and lemon, or a tomato salsa);
Oven baking, as you have mentioned, with some lemon or lime wedges, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli;
Broil with a very mild and thin soy-honey glaze.

Simple diversity without anything overwhelming or detracting from the flavor of the salmon.
 
bbq a huge hunk, paint with mixture of mayo, Worcestershire sauce a little soy sauce. wrap whole thing in foil and bbq it. i am guessing twenty min. the check it. yummy. opps forgot the lemon. put juice of several lemons before covering it.
 
Salmon Mousse is always good and gives good results for little effort.

Here's what I'm noodling around with at the minute, but it needs some more work before I'll be happy with it. However you really do need to use best quality ingredients for this recipe to work properly.

250g Smoked Salmon.
1 cup double cream
200g cream cheese
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Tablespoon of brandy
1 Table spoon of fennel herb (dill or chives could be substituted)
Salt and pepper toi taste
3 egg whites

1) Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
2) In a food processor blend the rest of the ingredients together until they for a smooth paste.
3) Fold the egg whites into the paste to form a mousse. Make sure all the eggwhite is incorporated and no white is showing.
4) Pour into a plastic wrap lined mould and set in the fridge.

I am very happy with the flavour and texture, but not so happy with how it sets. As it is it has to be used very shortly after being made to be at its best.

I'm experimenting with using agar, gelatine or cooking in a bain marie to get the mousse to set to how I want it to.
 
When we were in Alaska at the Orca Lodge, they grilled salmon with "orca sauce". Don't know the proper proportions but it was butter,soy,lemon,brown sugar in a marinade for a half hour and baste with the same mixture (separated from the other), one for marinade and one for basting toward's the end of the cookin'.
I tried this with some luck....
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
It was fantastic! (if you don't burn it ala blackened, sugar burns quickly!)
 
This is a fantastic, albeit difficult recipe.
Another Pacific Northwest recipe comes from tribal traditions. Salmon on a Stick. Tribal peoples will carve sticks from ironwood, about 1/2" wide by 2' - 3' long. (Possibly one of those wire salmon "cages" for campfires would work). Then, using skin on 4 oz salmon fillets (preferably King [Chinook] Salmon) run the stick tightly along the skin side of the fillet to skewer the fillet onto the stick. Next, set the stick at roughly a 70° - 80° angle over alder wood coals and slowly cook for approximately 1 hour. Turn the stick several times during the cooking process so that the skin side and the flesh side each have time towards the coals. Maintain the coalbed by adding more small alder firewood during the process. The end result is wonderfully cooked, lightly smoked, roasted salmon. The fat from the salmon (which is one of the highest fat fish [ie flavor]) remains largly in the fish. It is stupedous if you can pull it off. I'll offer 3 seasoning profiles. 1) S&P 2) a mixture of salt, pepper, granulated garlic, dry orange peel, dry basil, touch of sugar, paprika 3) Johnny's Seasoning
 
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