RECIPIES OF THE MONTH
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Salmon en Croute
Ingredients
Salmon en Croute:
One 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
2 large sprigs fresh dill
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Phyllo Dough, stretched and cut into three 12-by-36-inch strips and brushed with melted buttered, recipe follows
Two 6-ounce salmon filets
1 cup baby spinach leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Phyllo Dough:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Generous pinch fine sea salt
1/2 cup room-temperature water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
Directions
Special equipment:
a 2-inch heart cutter
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone cheese, dill and zest and juice of the lemon to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside one-third of the filling and reserve for the sauce
- Pat a salmon filet with a paper towel to slightly dry. Place the filet at one end of a strip of phyllo, leaving a 3- to 4-inch overhang, and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the remaining mascapone mixture over the filet then cover with an even, flat layer of the half the spinach leaves. Wrap the phyllo overhang over the filet and roll the salmon up in the dough, brushing the phyllo with butter as you roll. Tuck any excess phyllo under. Prepare the second piece of salmon the same way and place on one of the prepared baking sheets.
- Fold the last piece of phyllo 4 times to a quarter of its original size (an approximate 12-by-9-inch rectangle). Brush with butter and, using a 2-inch heart cutter, cut 6 hearts from the phyllo. Place on the other prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until the hearts are golden, 5 to 10 minutes, and the phyllo around the salmon is crisp, flaky and golden, about 20 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the reserved mascarpone mixture, the cream, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Warm (do not boil) over medium heat. Serve the salmon packets with a drizzle of cream sauce and top each with 3 hearts. Serve extra sauce on the side.
Phyllo Dough:
Yield: 1 large (36-by-36-inch) sheet phyllo dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, oil and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and using a wooden spoon or a Danish whisk, stir the mixture until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until the dough is a bit smoother. Then "slap" the dough and turn it over and knead it until smooth; this could take between 5 to 10 minutes. You can also mix the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. This takes about 10 minutes. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest a room temperature for 2 hours.
- Cover a table (at least 36 inches square) with a clean tablecloth. Sprinkle the cloth all over with flour. Gently press the dough into a rough 12-by-12-inch square and then gently pull the dough into a large square, about 36 inches. Use a pair of clean kitchen scissors to cut the thicker edges off the perimeter and discard them. Allow the dough to rest to dry out just a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Adapted from "Pie it Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes and Other Pastries Reinvented" by Gesine Bullock-Prado © Abrams 2012. Provided courtesy of Gesine Bullock-Prado. All rights reserved.
Crab Cake-Stuffed Artichokes
Ingredients
8 ounces jumbo lump crab meat, picked through of any shells
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay, plus more for serving
3 large lemons: 1 zested and then halved, 1 cut into wedges for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
4 medium artichokes
Directions
- Mix the crab meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, seasoning blend, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and few good grinds pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour in the olive oil and toss until the mixture is evenly coated and the texture of wet sand. Set aside.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water, squeeze in the juice of 1 of the lemon halves and then drop in both lemon halves. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, trim about 1 inch off the top with a serrated knife, then snap off the tough outer leaves around the stem (about 2 layers of leaves). Use kitchen shears to trim 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the thorny leaf tips. Cut off the stem completely so the artichoke can sit flat and upright. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise through the stem using a chef's knife, then use a melon baller to remove the choke (the fuzzy “hair” in the very center of the artichoke). Rub the cut parts with a lemon half (from the bowl), then keep the artichoke in the lemon water while you trim the rest.
- Use your fingers to spread the leaves of each artichoke half, then stuff the crumb mixture between each. Fill the very center of each artichoke half with some of the breadcrumb mixture as well. Use kitchen twine to tie the artichoke halves back together, making sure to prevent the breadcrumbs from falling out.
- Set up a steamer basket over a large pot of simmering water, then add the stuffed artichokes upright (don’t worry if they’re snug). Cover with a lid and steam over medium-low heat, adding more water as needed, until the bottom of the artichoke is tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Within the last 5 minutes of cooking, preheat the oven to broil.
- Transfer the stuffed artichokes from the steamer basket to a rimmed baking sheet and remove the kitchen twine. Place the artichoke halves cut-side up. Watching carefully, broil until the breadcrumbs turn crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with an extra dusting of seasoning blend and the lemon wedges.