Tag: salmon

Salmon for the holiday

One of the symbols of Rosh Hashanah is the fish head – “God will make you the head, not the tail” is the blessing. Fish is often served at one of the holiday meals and here are a few salmon recipes that would be nice to serve for lunch or brunch.

HOT DOG BUN SALMON SANDWICHES
(This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine. It makes 8 servings.)

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 finely chopped celery ribs with leaves
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
4 loose cups flaked roasted salmon
8 hot dog buns
melted unsalted butter
potato chips

  1. In a bowl, combine yogurt with celery, chives, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in salmon.
  2. Heat a griddle. Brush the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast.
  3. Fill the buns with salmon salad. Top with potato chips.

SALMON BURGERS
(This recipe comes from Rick Moonen of RM Seafood in Las Vegas with my changes. It makes 6 servings.)

5 coarsely chopped scallions, white and green parts only
3/4 cup coarsely chopped red pepper
3/4 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, centre-cut salmon, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen for 30 minutes
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
6 split and toasted brioche buns
harissa-spiced mayonnaise (optional)
cucumber relish, lettuce and tomato slices, for serving

  1. Pulse scallions and peppers in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Pulse salmon until finely chopped and with some bigger chunks. Transfer to bowl.
  2. Fold in breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and one-third cup harissa mayonnaise (to make: add two tablespoons of the North African paste to two-thirds cup mayonnaise). Oil hands and shape into six patties. Transfer to a lightly oiled plate and refrigerate 30 minutes.
  3. Light a grill. Melt one tablespoon butter and two tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan. Add three burgers, cook on both sides four to five minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another one tablespoon butter and two tablespoons olive oil to pan and fry remaining burgers.
  4. Spread harissa mayonnaise on buns. Top with burgers, relish, lettuce and tomato slices.

SMOKED SALMON AND ONION FRITTATA MUFFINS
(This recipe comes from Foods You Want for the Life You Crave by Nealy Fischer. It makes 4 to 5 servings.)

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 small finely chopped onion
1 1/2 ounces lox or smoked salmon
4 large beaten eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease six-cup muffin pan with olive oil or vegetable spray.
  2. Heat olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Add onion and cook eight minutes.
  3. Move onions to one side of frying pan, fry smoked salmon one minute. Break into small pieces.
  4. Transfer onion and salmon to a bowl and allow to cool.
  5. Add eggs, chives, salt and pepper to bowl and combine. Pour into muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set in the centre. Let cool one minute then remove from pan.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, editor of nine kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and a food writer living in Jerusalem. She has written the kosher restaurant features for janglo.net since 2014 and leads weekly English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda.

About the Rosh Hashanah 2018 cover art

The print edition’s cover photo of the salmon run on Adams River by Leah Ramsay was taken in 2010 at Tsútswecw Provincial Park, near Kamloops, B.C. Formerly named after conservationist and author Roderick Haig-Brown, the park was renamed Tsútswecw this past June.

photo - Rosh Hashanah 2018 coverTsútswecw (pronounced choo-chwek) translates to “many rivers” and the park, established in 1977, encompasses the spawning beds of the sockeye, chinook, coho and pink salmon. Every fourth year is a “dominant” run, with millions of salmon returning – 2010, when this photo was taken, was a dominant year, as is 2018. In honour of the occasion, there is a festival held at the park, called Salute to the Sockeye, which runs this year from Sept. 28 to Oct. 21.

One of the symbols of Rosh Hashanah is the fish head – “we should be the head and not the tail.” There are the themes of creation, rebirth and renewal, as well. In the run, the salmon return from the ocean to their natal stream to spawn, after which most die, their bodies providing nutrients to the vegetation and animals, and the lifecycle begins anew. This all happens in British Columbia from September through November.

“Seeing one of the peak years of the Adams River sockeye run had been a desire for many years and it didn’t disappoint,” said Ramsay. “Even non-hardcore nature nerds are impressed – it is such a huge mass of life all moving to the same goal.”