Weekend Brunch Recipes
Join Pam Smith, RDN in the kitchen as she reveals her favorite brunch bar salmon recipes! Print out the recipe cards and cook along.
Grilled Side of Salmon
Everything Crusted Salmon with Caper Egg Salad
If you love everything bagels, you are going to love this recipe for “Everything BUT Bagel" salmon on toasts. The bagel seasoning, a mixture of granulated garlic, onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt, in addition to Dijon mustard, becomes the crusting, and allows the beautiful flavor and texture of Kvarøy Arctic Salmon to shine. Rather than serving the salmon with traditional accompaniments, the egg white, yolks, capers, red onion, and dill are put together in a savory egg salad, with a refreshing and crunchy tomato, cucumber, and radish salad to the side.
Serves 4
Multigrain baguette, bias cut lengthwise into long slices, ½ inch thickness
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
Four 5 oz. fillets of Kvarøy Arctic Salmon
2 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard
½ cup Everything Bagel Blend, recipe follows
Caper and Egg Salad, recipe follows
Fresh dill or flat leaf parsley for garnish, if desired
Lemon wedges for garnish, if desired
½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup baby or seedless cucumber, bias sliced
½ cup radishes, halved and thinly sliced
Lemon and Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, recipe follows
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray oven-proof pan or cast iron skillet with nonstick spray, heat over medium high heat. Brush baguette planks with I tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning. When pan is hot, add planks to pan; toast on one side until edges begin to brown, and flip to toast on that that side as well. Remove from pan and wipe clean.
Bring pan back to high heat; add remaining extra-virgin olive oil and swirl to cover pan. Season salmon fillets with 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning.
When pan is sizzling hot, add fish and cook until golden on bottom side – about 2 minutes. Gently turn fish with flat spatula, and evenly brush each fillet with ½ tablespoon stone ground Dijon mustard.
Sprinkle or lightly pat fish with Everything Bagel Blend, and place skillet in hot oven until fish is cooked through to 145º F.
While salmon is finishing in oven, place toasts on plate, and spread with Caper and Egg Salad. Top with salmon and garnish with dill or parsley and lemon wedges for garnish. Toss tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes with Lemon and Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, and serve to side of the salmon, caper and egg salad toast.
Everything Bagel Blend
¼ cup sesame seeds (ideally a mixture of both white and black sesame seeds)
2 tablespoons dried minced garlic flakes
2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (my favorite is Diamond Crystal)
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Caper and Egg Salad
8 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
¼ cup of your favorite mayonnaise
2 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or kosher salt and black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and gently stir together. Keep mixture covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Lemon and Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
2/3 cup white balsamic or rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or fresh herb of choice (flat leaf parsley, chives, thyme)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Additional Creole seasoning or kosher salt, as needed
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together vinegar, citrus juices, mustard, honey, seasoning, and herbs. Drizzle in olive oil, while continuing to whisk to emulsify. Season to taste.
SALMON CAKES BENEDICT
This flavorful twist on the classic dish puts Salmon Cakes in the starring role in place of the Canadian bacon and english muffin, and the tangy lemon caper aioli is a flavor king over hollandaise. It's perfect for holiday brunch, or anytime you want to make brunch or “ brinner” extra special — simply delicious and easy to make, even in advance.
Serves 4
2 cups cooked Kvarøy Arctic salmon, flaked
½ cup finely chopped green onion
¼ cup finely diced shallot or sweet onion
¼ cup finely diced red pepper
½ cup finely diced celery
1 ear sweet corn, cut fresh from cob (about ½ cup)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
½ tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce
7 ounces of your favorite mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or kosher salt and black pepper, to taste, plus more for garnish
2/3 cup plus 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, for dusting cakes
1 large whole egg, plus one egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Poached eggs, recipe follows
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, Meyer lemon if available
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, Meyer lemon if available
1⁄2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons dill or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Perfect Poached Egg, recipe follows
1⁄4 cup dill or parsley sprigs, and lemon wedges, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Combine salmon, onions, red pepper, celery, corn, 2 tablespoons mustard, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon of Creole seasoning, and 2/3 cup Panko. Taste and adjust seasoning; add eggs and mix until incorporated.
Form mixture into eight balls. Roll salmon balls in remaining breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes about ¼-inch thick.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add salmon cakes and brown for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. You may also sear on one side, flip, and then place in a 400º F oven until done.
While salmon cakes are finishing, mix together ½ cup mayonnaise, remaining 1 tablespoon mustard, lemon zest and juice, capers, 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, and chopped dill or parsley. Add water as needed to thin to a drizzling consistency.
When ready to serve, plate Salmon Cakes, each topped with a poached egg. Drizzle sauce on poached egg and sprinkle with Creole seasoning, or salt and pepper. Garnish plate with dill or parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.
Perfect Poached Egg
Water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 whole egg
DIRECTIONS
Add enough water to come 1-2 inches up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart sauce pot. Add kosher salt and white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it's all smoothly spinning around. TIP: Use this whirlpool method when poaching a single serving (one or two eggs). For a batch of 3-4 eggs, heat the water, salt and vinegar in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and do not stir.
Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 4 minutes. Don't disturb the egg in that time – no peeking or poking.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Alternatively, move the egg to an ice bath and refrigerate, covered, up to 8 hours. Reheat in warm water just before serving.
