Stuffed Salmon

Stuffed Salmon: Submitted by: Kimmo Vallema | Date Added: 20 Dec 2020 Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

1/3 cup (77 g) Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons (12 g) minced scallion

2 teaspoons (2.6 g) minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons (13 g) finely chopped pitted kalamata olives, optional

1 to 2 teaspoons capers, optional, to taste (rinse to remove some of the saltiness, if desired)

4 skinless salmon fillets (each 4 to 6 ounces, or 115 to 170 g, about 1 inch, or 2.5 cm, thick)

Olive oil, for drizzling

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

8 thin slices lemon cut widthwise “around the equator” (1/8 inch, or 3 mm, thick)

1/2 lemon, optional

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly spray an 11 × 7-inch (28 × 18-cm) glass baking dish with olive oil and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, zest, lemon juice, scallion, parsley, and olives, and mix well (an immersion blender or rubber spoon works well for this). Stir in the capers.

Make deep (but don’t cut all the way through) 1 1/2- to 2-inch (3.8- to 5-cm) slits in the sides of each salmon fillet. Stuff the slits with equal portions of the Neufchâtel mixture. Lay the fillets out evenly in the prepared baking dish and drizzle olive oil over each of them.

Sprinkle the fillets lightly with salt and pepper, and lay 2 lemon slices on top of each one, overlapping slightly, if necessary. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until just done—do not overbake or the salmon will dry out. Squeeze the lemon half over all, just before serving.