Jackson Jambalaya

Why settle for just anything when you can sit down to a nice piece of stuffed fish? 

We are big fans of salmon at our house. When properly prepared, it has great ocean fish flavor, flaky consistency, good mouth feel. It is also low in saturated fat and is a nice source of selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. There was a time when I thought the only salmon was in the salmon croquettes they made at school. Then I had actual Salmon not from a can and my life changed.

There are several good was to cook salmon fillets, or salmon with the skin still attached. My preferred salmon has the skin removed before cooking, but the opinion of others may differ. We grill it on a board or on the grill, pan sear it, broil and bake it. Yes, I even grind it up and make fresh salmon croquets.

However, it is hard to beat a nice piece of creamed spinach stuffed salmon. I guess a purist might want to broil their fish and serve the creamed spinach alongside the plated fish. 

Here is an excellent broiled stuffed salmon recipe. Why might it be better than other preparations I have mentioned? It has bacon, roasted pecans and a nice creamy sauce!

Here is how you can easily pamper the salmon lovers in your house with a beautiful and tasty dinner.

Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

- 2 skinless salmon fillets 1 1/2 inch thick. if using thinner fillets, use a piece that is big enough to fold over the stuffing.
- salt and pepper to season
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil 
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Filling:

--4 oz cream cheese at room temp
--4 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon sliced green onion
- 1 Tablespoon carrot, diced
- 3 Tablespoons roasted pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

- 6 Tablespoons (remaining) cheese stuffing
- 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Garlic Salt
- 1/4 cup Chicken stock
- 1/4 cup Dry white wine
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice

3 strips of thick sliced bacon, cooked until crisp, and broken into pieces

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A nice side to the salmon would be a Spinach, Strawberry Salad with Roasted Pecans and Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

- Fresh Baby Spinach
- Strawberries
- Equal parts Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
- Roasted Pecans, broken into large pieces

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Directions:

Oil the pecans lightly with vegetable oil or Pam, salt lightly, and roast in a single layer at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally during roast to assure the nuts are evenly roasted and do not burn. Cool and chop into desired size pieces after roasting.

Place each salmon fillet on a flat surface. Cut a slit or pocket about 3/4 quarter of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season both sides with salt and pepper. and set aside.

Prep vegetables.

Cook bacon until crisp. break into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.

Sauté onion, carrot, garlic, and chopped spinach in 1 Tablespoon butter and a teaspoon of the bacon grease. 

When the vegetables are tender, add the spinach and continue cooking until the spinach releases all of the water and dries.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sauteed vegetables cream cheese, roasted pecan pieces and parmesan cheese then lightly season with salt and black pepper

Fill salmon pockets with 1-2 tablespoons of the spinach stuffing.

Cooking the stuffed salmon:

Preheat Broiler on High Setting. Place stuffed salmon fillets on a preheated lightly greased roasting pan. The pan needs to be hot enough to sear the salmon side that is against the pan. Cook under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until salmon is cooked through, opaque in centre and flakes easily with fork.  The top of the fillets should be crusty when finished.

Sauce:

Deglaze the roasting pan with 1/4 cup dry white wine and pour deglazing liquid into a sauce pan. Use this liquid to make the sauce. Mix remaining cream cheese mixture with the deglazed roasting juices, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and 1/4 cup heavy cream in saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Garlic Salt and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently, until combined and reduced slightly. Add lemon juice to the finished sauce.

Plating:

Plate the roasted fillets, sprinkle the bacon over the fillets and add sauce over the fillets. Served with spinach and strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and roasted pecan pieces.

Thanks for looking,