Around my house, I jokingly refer to this as “Marry Me Salmon”. Michael likes to give me a hard time by saying I trapped him with my cooking – which was totally unintentional. However, I will say if it was any one meal in particular that hooked him, this was probably it.
Even if you’re not just smitten with the amazing new woman in your life (haha), this is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any seafood lover.
You can make this with one whole cut of salmon, or with individual sized salmon fillets. I’ve done it both ways, and either way you slice it – pun totally intended – it’s sensational.
RECIPE
Prep Time 20 Minutes
Prep Time 20 Minutes
Serves 4 People
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Salmon
- 1 package Cream Cheese (8 oz), softened
- Generous amount of spinach
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 can lump crab meat (6 oz)
- 8-10 cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped.
- 4 oz butter
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Over medium heat, drizzle olive oil in a skillet. Cook garlic until fragrant – about 30 seconds. Add in spinach and sauté, stirring constantly, until tender – about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, cooked spinach, about 2/3 of the crab meat, and 2/3 of the cooked shrimp. Season the mixture with Old Bay, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper and Cayenne (if desired).
- For the salmon, make a pocket in the fillet by gently cutting a horizontal slit in the salmon flesh, leaving about one inch on each end connected. Do not cut all the way through to the other side – this is a pocket, not a hole!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place salmon on top, skin side down. Generously season the salmon flesh with all seasonings listed above.
- Using a spoon, scoop cream cheese mixture into the pocket of the salmon. The pocket should be pretty full – don’t be stingy with the stuffing!
- In the same pan you cooked the spinach, melt butter over medium heat. Add in bread crumbs and mix well until it becomes paste like in consistency. Once butter is melted, this should only take a few seconds.
- Spread buttered breadcrumbs on top of the salmon filet – this will create a crust like consistency for the top of the salmon.
- Lightly sprinkle remaining cheese, crab meat and shrimp over the top of the stuffed salmon.
- Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.
Tips
- For the lump crab meat – you can definitely use fresh lump crab meat from your local fish market or deli. They didn’t have any when I went, and I found the canned version to be just as good. Just make sure you drain any excess water or oil if using the canned meat.
Who Taught You How To Cook? 