Get your Thanksgiving on with Alaska salmon

Looking for something different to impress your Thanksgiving guests? Alaska salmon could be just the ticket to a rocking the dinner table.

In addition to being versatile and delicious, wild Alaska salmon has health and nutrition benefits that are hard to beat. The Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other Alaska seafood help to reduce the risk of heart disease and the side effects associated with stroke.

These recipes, courtesy of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, will help bring a distinctly Alaskan twist to your Thanksgiving spread, while also promoting healthful eating.

Salmon En Croute with Alaska Sockeye and Pink Salmon

Remember Beef Wellington? This salmon, mushroom and rice pie is a classic French recipe, courtesy of Chef Vitaly Paley, and is perfect for the holidays or family gatherings.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 75 minutes

Total Time: 105 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Yield: 2 cups cooked mushroom duxelles, 2 cups cooked rice, 1 pie

Ingredients

2 shallots, finely minced

2 Tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup brown basmati rice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cup water

1 bay leaf

4 large weathervane scallops, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3 hard cooked eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped

½ bunch dill, coarsely chopped, plus a few dill fronds for garnish

4 cups assorted mushrooms, cleaned, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup cream sherry

2 Tablespoons crème fraiche, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, tightly packed

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour to roll out pastry

2 (9x9-inch) frozen puff pastry sheets

1 (1 lb.) Alaska sockeye salmon filet, skin off, pin bones removed

1 (1 lb.)Alaska pink salmon filet, skin off, pin bones removed

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Salmon caviar, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1: Read the recipe in its entirety, then set your “mise en place” together. Allow yourself uninterrupted time in the kitchen and just go for it.

Step 2: Make the rice

Add 2 tablespoons oil into a medium straight sided pan. Add half the chopped shallots. Cook over medium heat, stirring until shallots get translucent, about 2 minutes. Add rice, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir to toast lightly, another 2 minutes. Add water, bay leaf, and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then cover. Cook until rice is done, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to bottom of pan.

When done, transfer rice to a bowl, add 1 tablespoon butter, then fluff it with a fork. Let rice completely cool, then add cut scallops, hard cooked eggs, and dill. Cover and refrigerate.

Step 3: Make mushroom duxelles

Pour remaining olive oil into a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until they develop slight coloration and are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add sherry and cook until it has all been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add parsley and 2 tablespoons crème fraiche, then stir together. Transfer mushroom mixture into a food processor. Pulse 15 times, scraping down sides of processor every 5 pulses. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Step 4: Prepare the puff pastry

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Line two sheet pans or cookie sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Gently roll one puff pastry sheet to about 12×17-inch rectangle. When done, gently roll the sheet around the rolling pin like one would roll up a window shade. Unroll it onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Repeat the process with the remaining puff pastry but roll it out smaller, to about 10×15-inch size. If you have a cookie sheet without sides, use it, as it will be easier to work with assembling the pie. If not, turn the cookie sheet over to achieve a similar effect.

Step 5: Assemble and bake salmon pie

Transfer the smaller pastry piece onto an upside-down cookie sheet lined with parchment. Start building the pie by spreading half of the rice mixture on the pastry by forming a rectangle about same size as the sockeye filet.

Generously season the sockeye salmon filet with salt and pepper on both sides and place spine side up on the rice. Evenly spread the mushroom duxelles on top of the salmon filet.

Season pink salmon filet generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Place it spine side down, tail side of filet on top of the head side (thicker on top of thinner so it cooks more evenly). Spread remainder of rice mixture on top of the pink salmon.

Generously brush puff pastry border, around the salmon and the stuffing, with egg wash. Carefully lay the second pastry sheet over the salmon and the stuffing. Pull it as close as you can around the salmon and the stuffing to avoid air bubbles from forming. With your fingers, firmly press down all around to seal.

Trim pastry by cutting it around the pie, leaving about 1/2 to 3/4-inch all around. With the back of a fork, gently press all around the pastry to seal it. If desired, use the back of a knife to gently make a crosshatch pattern on pie top.

Generously brush the egg wash all over then refrigerate while preheating the oven to 350F, about 10 minutes. Brush a second coat of egg wash to ensure a superior golden-brown look before baking. Use a paring knife, pierce top of pie just enough to cut through the pastry in 3 places, about 2 inches apart. This will ensure that bubbles will not form, eliminating crust blowouts.

Place sheet pan, with fish pie on it, in middle of oven; cook 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400F; turn the pie in oven. Bake until pastry is uniformly golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 6: Serve

Remove pie from oven; cool 5 to 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut the pie into 2-to-3-inch pieces. Using a large, sturdy spatula, transfer slices onto dinner plates. Spoon a generous amount of crème fraiche on each slice, garnish with a generous serving of salmon caviar, few sprigs of dill and serve right away.

Alaska Salmon Char Siu with Broccolini and Crispy Rice

Pink salmon works great for this dish, which is courtesy of Chef Jeremy Bringardner. The flavor is sturdy enough to stand up to the char siu sauce, but not so strong that it overpowers the steamed broccolini or crispy sticky black rice.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (not including 1 hour marinade time)

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Yield: 4(6-8 oz ea) salmon, 1 quart rice, 2 bunches broccolini

Ingredients

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or sherry wine

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp garlic, minced

½ tsp 5-spice powder

¼ tsp white pepper, ground

1 tsp molasses

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

4 Alaska pink salmon fillets, pin bones and skin removed, 6-8 oz portions

4 cup glutinous black rice, cooked

4 tbsp butter, unsalted

Pinch of salt & pepper

2 bunches broccolini

2 green onions, washed, thinly sliced on bias

Instructions

Step 1: Make the char siu marinade

To make the marinade, add the hoisin, soy, brown sugar, rice wine, honey, garlic, 5-spice, white pepper, molasses, and sesame oil to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Pour ½ cup of the marinade over the 4 pieces of salmon and move the salmon pieces around in the marinade to ensure they are thoroughly coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade.

Step 2: Cook the salmon

Line a sheet pan with foil, then parchment paper, then place a roasting rack on top. Transfer the salmon pieces onto the rack, and scrape all the marinade from the bowl and drizzle over the salmon. Bake the salmon in a preheated oven set to 400° F for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Cook until just opaque throughout. Hold warm.

Step 3: Cook the char siu sauce

Place the reserved marinade in a small pot with ¼ cup of chicken stock or water. Bring just to a simmer, then turn off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp butter. Hold warm.

Step 4: Rice and broccolini

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 tbsp butter and the cooked black rice. Toss the rice, then flatten out and allow to cook 2-3 minutes or until the rice starts to crisp up on the underside. Season the rice with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the rice to flip and repeat crisping up the second side.

Once the rice is thoroughly heated and somewhat crispy, divide among 4 warm plates.

Cook the broccolini in salted boiling water for 1½ to 2 minutes or until al dente. Strain. Divide among the 4 plates, arranging a couple broccolini branches on each plate on top of the black rice.

Step 5: Serve

Transfer one piece of cooked salmon to each plate, placing on the black rice, next to the broccolini.

Drizzle a bit of the warmed char siu sauce over the salmon, the rice, and around the plate. Garnish the salmon with sliced green onions. Serve hot.

FIND OUT MORE

www.alaskaseafood.org