Dinner Tonight--Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets

It was a dark and stormy night.  No, really.  It was dark.  It was raining.  And it was cold.  It was the kind of night you wanted to stay at home with a steaming bowl of soup and a crackling fire. But that was not meant to be.  I was meeting friends for an early movie before dinner, and because I knew that John and I would be returning home about the same time, I wanted to prepare something for dinner that would be ready for the oven when we got there.

Walnut crusted salmon fillets was the perfect dish.  A delicious healthy dinner full of heart-healthy  antioxidants and phytonutrients that would be able to be prepared ahead of time, parked in the refrigerator, and roasted in a matter of minutes.  A good choice for a dark and stormy night.

Salmon ready for the oven

Walnut Crusted Salmon Fillets
 Serves 4

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, whatever kind of salmon you prefer
1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 teaspoons low fat mayonnaise combined with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the walnuts, bread crumbs, melted butter, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. 


Place salmon fillets on an oiled, or silpat-lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Spread one teaspoon (or less) of the mustard-mayonnaise on each fillet and top with the walnut mixture, pressing into fish.


Bake until just done 12-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference of doneness.

Cook's Note:  A quick and delicious weeknight meal also works well for dinner parties.  The salmon can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until baking.  If you don't like walnuts, why not try pitachios or hazelnuts.








 


 

Marcella's Noci in Camicia

I've just finished reading a post by Rachel Roddy of rachel eats in which she recounts her discovery of walnut pesto. She describes it as "...a soft delicate nutty paste of walnuts, olive oil, butter and aged parmesan..." How delicious does that sound? I was surprised I'd never heard of this, but I could literally taste this combination in my head. Rachel paints a beautiful picture with her words, but it was more than that.

I realized that I have been using this combination for years. In Marcella's Italian Kitchen, the authority on Italian cooking, Marcella Hazan, recalls the platter of walnuts with slivers of tender, young Parmesan being passed around the table while waiting for the first course to arrive. This combination, she says, never seems to pall especially with a glass of crisp white wine.

It occurred to her to bind the two ingredients, butter and Parmesan, sheathing the walnut halves with the mixture. Brilliant. The perfect bite with an apertif before dinner. I like Prosecco with these.

Noci in Camicia   by Marcella Hazan

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1/4 pound shelled walnut halves

In a bowl combine all the ingredients, except for the walnuts, until they are thoroughly amalgamated into a smooth paste.

Scoop up some of the cheese and butter mixture with your fingertips and apply it to the walnuts, sheathing each half only partially, leaving about one-third exposed.  Place on a dish without overlapping them and refrigerate until ready to serve--1-2hours.

Serves 6

N.B.  If you don't have fresh basil, don't let that stop you from making these.  They are fine without it.  Also, I have sandwiched some of the butter mixture between two walnut halves if I could not find decent sized halves.