Cooking Whole Salmon
Poaching is the classic way to cook whole Salmon. Clean the fish and place in a fish kettle. Cover with a simple Court Bouillon (one medium onion, one sliced carrot, one bay leaf, eight black peppercorns, sprigs of parsley and thyme, one tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt). Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 15-20 minutes if serving hot, or leave to cool completely in the cooking liquor.
Baking salmon preserves it's juices and flavour well, but be careful not to overcook. Clean the fish and season well. Wrap loosely in well-greased foil. Place on a tray and bake at 300F (150C or gas mark 2). Allow 20 minutes per pound.
Microwaving can be a particularly useful method of cooking for the caterer because of it's convenience and speed. Simply prepare the fish as for baking, but wrap it in cling film with butter instead of foil. Cook on full power for 2-3 minutes per pound or refer to your microwave handbook.
Barbeque - Use a marinade first or baste while cooking. Tinfoil assists to keep fish moist. Cook until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Barbeque Sauce
Wonderful for brushing on during cooking as well as serving with the cooked salmon.
½ lb. butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup soya sauce
2 tbsp. American style mustard
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. ketchup or tomato sauce
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and simmer until butter is melted and the flavours are well blended - about 15 minutes. Makes about 1¼ cups, enough for one medium sized salmon.
Teriyaki Marinade
1¼ cups soy sauce
½ cup of sake (Japanese rice wine) or sherry
6 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp minced or grated ginger root
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Makes about 1¾ cups.
Stuffed Salmon
1 whole salmon 1.5-2 kgs
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup chopped fresh mushrooms
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
¼ cup minced parsley
Wash fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Stir all ingredients into melted butter. Pack mixture lightly into fish and close with toothpicks. Place fish on a large platter. Cover head and tail with foil. Cover dish with greaseproof paper. Cook on high 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes. Allow fish to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Pansize Sherried Salmon
4 pansize salmon
1 cup sherry
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
stuffing:
1 cup white breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
½ small onion, chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 pinch herbs
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp hot water
Clean, wash and dry salmon. Place in a large dish, pour the sherry over, cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine stuffing ingredients and fill each fish with the mixture. Secure by stitching or with skewers. Add milk to the sherry and pour over the salmon. Season and bake in a moderate oven for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Salmon Steak Recipes
Suggestions for Cooking Salmon Steaks
Grilled - Season steaks to taste, brush with butter or oil. Grill for 5-7 minutes each side or until flesh just leaves the bone.
Fried - Prepare as for grilled steaks, but roll salmon in flour before cooking in a moderately hot pan with butter. Allow 5-7 minutes each side.
Baked - Place steaks on buttered foil, add salt and pepper to taste and a knob of butter. Season further with herbs to taste. Fold foil securely and place in an oven dish and bake at 200C for 15 minutes.
Salmon Steaks with Cream
6 salmon steaks
Salt and pepper
50 gms butter
400-500 mLs cream
Small bay leaf
Wipe steaks with a damp cloth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Butter an ovenproof dish large enough to take the steaks in a single layer. Pour over enough cream to cover the steaks. Lay the bay leaf on top and cover the dish with foil. Bake the steaks in a pre-heated oven 190C (375F) for 20-25 minutes basting with a little extra cream if necessary. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.
Stuffed Salmon Steaks
4 salmon steaks
1 small onion, finely chopped
1½ tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped fennel feathers (or use extra parsley)
90 gms butter
1 cup white breadcrumbs
½ cup milk
12 medium sized mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cream
Additional butter
In a small pan, gently fry the onion for a few minutes, then add the parsley and fennel and cook until the onion is soft and lightly golden. In a bowl, pour the milk over the breadcrumbs, mix, then squeeze dry and discard the milk. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and a grind or two of black pepper to the breadcrumbs in the bowl.
Use some of the additional butter to thoroughly grease a large, shallow oven-proof dish and lay two of the salmon steaks on the bottom. Spread the mushroom mixture quite thickly over these and top with the other two steaks. Warm the cream gently, then pour over all.
Dot with small pieces of butter and an extra grind of pepper and cook in a moderate oven for 25-35 minutes depending on the thickness of the steaks, using the liquid to baste occasionally.
Serve with a green vegetable such as broccoli or beans and small new potatoes. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and fennel feathers.
Salmon Fillet Recipes
Salmon and Macaroni Salad
1 cup raw macaroni
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cucumber, sliced
Approx. 500 gms salmon, poached, drained and flaked
Salt and pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp oil
Cook macaroni, drain and rinse in cold water. Combine macaroni, onions, parsley, cucumber and salmon in a bowl. Mix salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar and oil together and carefully stir through the salad. Line a salad bowl with crisp lettuce leaves and fill with macaroni and salmon mixture.
Salmon and Mushroom Quiche
200 gms short crust pastry
Approx. 250 gms fillets, poached, drained and flaked
2 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs
¼ pint milk
6 oz cheddar cheese grated
Salt and pepper
2 tsp chopped parsley
Roll out the pastry and line an 8 inch flan dish. Cover pastry with baking paper and baking beans. Bake at 200C for 15 minutes. Place salmon in base of flan and cover with mushrooms. Beat eggs and milk together. Stir in grated cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Pour into flan case. Bake for 20-30 minutes until filling has set. Serve hot or cold.
Salmon Puff Pie
Hint - When cooking potatoes to mash for serving with salmon, do not use salt. Instead use a clove of garlic and a bay leaf, and remove prior to mashing.
Approx. 500 gms fillets, poached, drained and flaked
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter, melted
3-4 cups mashed potato
Beat eggs, add all other ingredients to the eggs and mix well. Put into a greased pie or casserole dish and cook for 20-30 minutes in a moderate oven.
Salmon Rissoles
Approx. 500 gms fillets, poached, drained and flaked
1 cup mashed potato
1 onion, finely chopped
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper
Combine salmon, potato and onion with beaten egg. Form into small balls, roll in flour and flatten slightly. Fry in oil approx. 5 minutes each side or until golden brown.
Salmon Burgers
Approx. 250 gms fillets, poached, drained and flaked
2 cups mashed potato
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp mustard
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 egg
3 hamburger buns
Mash salmon and mix all other ingredients in to get a firm, even mixture. Shape into six flat patties and place on a lightly greased griller and grill quickly on both sides until golden brown, or fry in a little butter. Split the buns in half and on each half place a salmon patty and garnish with sliced tomato and gherkin.
Microwaved Salmon Recipes
Award Winning Recipe
Try this award winning recipe from Mr. Jim O'Gorman of Oamaru who used Mt Cook Salmon in the 1995 Great Barbeque Bake Off:
Coat Mt Cook Salmon fillets in seasoned flour (with salt and pepper to taste). This is easily done by placing fillets in a plastic bag with the flour and shaking! Mix 6 "organic" eggs, fold and whisk with a fork. Fold in one handful each of roughly chopped parsley and dill. Cook in a heavy frypan over barbeque in clarified butter. Finish with brandy sauce and capers to taste: Squeeze the juice from four oranges into a small frypan, add two cups of brandy (or less to taste!). Stir in sufficient cornflour to thicken the sauce slightly. Drizzle over fillets and add capers as a garnish.
Microwaved Pansize
2 pansize salmon
2 spring onions, chopped
4 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
4 small button mushrooms, chopped
Lemon juice
Fresh black pepper
Wash and dry salmon. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine melted butter with spring onions and mushrooms and place over the salmon in a microwave bake dish. Cover the heads and tails with foil. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over salmon. Cover dish with grease proof paper and cook on high for 5-6 minutes, depending on the size of the salmon. Allow to stand for 2 minutes before serving.
Salmon Steaks Baked with Mushrooms
1 kg salmon steaks (serves 4-5)
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp onion, grated
Salt and pepper
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tin mushrooms - approx 115gms, drained
Arrange steaks in baking dish with thin ends towards the centre. Combine butter, mushrooms, lemon juice, rind and onion. Spoon over salmon. Cover with cling film. Microwave 10-12 minutes on high or until fish flakes easily. Let stand for 5 minutes covered. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Our Easy Microwave Recipe
500 gms fillets
1¼ tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp paprika
2 tsp parsley or coriander leaves, finely chopped
Melt butter in a microwave dish large enough to hold fillets in one layer. Turn the trimmed, dried fillets in the butter. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and paprika. Add up to the two tsp of parsley or coriander leaves. Cover tightly with cling film and microwave for 4-5 minutes on high until fillet is opaque in it's thickest part. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before uncovering. |
