Lewis County Recipes: Stuffed Salmon New Orleans with Spicy Sausage and Lump Crab Dressing

Main Ingredients

four salmon filets

16 deveined, peeled raw shrimp

Ingredients for sauce

1 cup heavy cream

12-14 ounces white wine

1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns

two minced garlic cloves

a dash cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 large bay leaves or 4 small bay leaves, crushed

Old Bay Seasoning to taste

Cajun Seasoning to taste

lump crab meat, 1/2 cup

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Ingredients for Stuffing

3 whole eggs, whisked

1/2 cup spicy sausage, cooked and cooled

1/2 cup each: onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, chopped into small pieces and sautéed in 1 tablespoon of butter

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

lump crab meat, 1/2 cup

Step 1: Make the Sauce

Combine the white wine, peppercorns, garlic, cayenne pepper, shallots, bay leaves and Old Bay Seasoning to taste. DO NOT add the heavy cream at this time. Simmer on the stove until the white wine has reduced to approximately 1/2 cup. This process should occur while preparing the rest of the dish, as it takes a while to reduce the wine. The liquid will be strained completely and added to the cream later.

Whip heavy cream until peaks just begin to form and stop. Set cream aside.

Step 2: Make the Stuffing

Whisk three whole eggs together. Add cooled and cooked spicy sausage (chorizo or Andouille), cooled onion/celery/bell pepper sautéed mixture, lump crab meat, and bread crumbs to the bowl. (Make sure all hot ingredients have cooled to room temperature before adding to the egg). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Prep the Salmon for the Dressing.

Skin side down, make an incision down the front part of the salmon, careful not to cut into the skin. I begin the cut about an inch from the top of the fish. The skin should remain intact and not cut thru. Carefully open the salmon where you cut it and make side slits to insert the dressing. Essentially, you're creating a pouch on each side for the dressing. Place approximately 4 tablespoons of dressing in each piece of fish.

Step 4: Bake

In an oven-proof pan, apply butter or olive oil in a thin coat and place stuffed salmon in the pan to bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble Sauce

Strain the white wine and keep the liquid, which should be approximately 1/4 cup. Add white wine liquid, parmesan, and Cajun and Old Bay spices to taste, to heavy cream and slowly simmer the sauce. You will need to whisk the cream mixture until it begins thickening. Once it begins to thicken, I add approximately 1/4 cup lump crab meat at the end. You don't want to cook the crab meat. Add it last in just enough time to heat the crab meat in the sauce.

Step 6: Saute Shrimp

Sauté shrimp in butter and cajun seasoning until pink.

Step 7: Assemble

Plate the salmon, careful to use a spatula to lift it from the pan. If you like a crust, you can broil the salmon after it's done for just a minute before plating. My family likes crispy tips and golden-brown dressing.

Place shrimp on top of salmon and lightly coat the dish with the butter mixture you created when you sautéed the shrimp with Cajun seasoning.

Next, pour the cream sauce on the salmon and around the plate for extra dipping. Enjoy.