Salmon & Crab Roulade

Ingredients:

1 filet of salmon, about 1–1.5lb, perhaps 6” by 4”

Stuffing:

1 can of lump crab meat, drained

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs mayo

1 Tbs minced shallot (one small one)

1/3C panko

1 tsp capers

Old Bay, Kosher Salt & Cracked Black Pepper for seasoning

Gear

Butchers twine

Plastic wrap

Preparing the Roulade

1. Mix up the stuffing ingredients in a bowl

2. Book slice the salmon filet. Skin the salmon if it has come with skin on. Place the filet with the skinned side down. With a sharp filet knife, work from the center line outwards and stopping about 1 inch from the edge, dividing the filet in half width-wise. The effect is to “open” the filet like a book and double its length, while halving its width.

3. Spread the stuffing in a stripe down the center of the filet. Leaving about 1/2 inch on either side to allow it to spread out when you roll. Roll up the filet along the long/horizontal axis, tucking the leading edge under to get a consistent, secure roulade.

4. Use a Butcher’s knot to truss your roll, making half-hitches every 1.5 inches along the length of the roll. Tie them firmly, but not so tight that they cut into the meat or squeeze the filling out.

5. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill to set. You can do this in the fridge over 8 hours or overnight, or in the freezer if you want to go faster or make them ahead. They freeze great! I usually get at least 4, so I’ll cook two and freeze two for later.

Cooking & Serving

6. To prepare, cut the firmed-up roll into thick slices between the knots. You can discard the twine after that. You can cook these in a few ways, but I do them with a little bit of olive oil in a seasoned skillet over low-medium heat until each side is brown and crispy, the center is hot through, but the overall temp. is medium rare or rare.

7. I serve with apricot tartar sauce made with a ratio of 1:3:1 horseradish, mayo, and apricot preserves with a little salt and pepper to taste.