By Captain George Nippell, F/V JIMANI
Savor perfection with Crab and Shrimp Crusted Copper River Sockeye Salmon. Succulent Copper River sockeye salmon topped with crab, shrimp, and a spiced blend, baked to perfection. Enjoy with Za'atar-seasoned butternut squash and steamed broccolini for a delightful seafood sensation.
Ingredients
2 Copper River sockeye salmon fillets
1/3 cup lump crabmeat (Dungeness or blue crab)
1/3 cup rough-chopped fresh shrimp (4 to 6 jumbos)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
1-2 tsp creole spice mix (homemade for a personalized touch)
Directions
Topping
1 Rough chop the peeled, deveined raw shrimp into 3/8-to-1/2-inch pieces, toss with creole spice, and sauté over medium heat for a minute or so. Set aside.
2 Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and Panko. Add crab meat and sautéed shrimp, mix, and season to taste. Adjust the texture with more Panko if desired.
Cooking
1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2 Pat salmon filets dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder or creole seasoning.
3 Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the topping over seasoned salmon filets and top with Parmesan cheese. For an extra touch, consider adding King Crab cluster segments.
4 Place filets on parchment paper or a foil-lined sheet pan and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes, adjusting based on thickness. Keep a close eye on the cooking time, as salmon can cook quickly.
Serving
Serve the Crab and Shrimp Crusted Copper River Salmon with your favorite sides. A recommendation is roasted butternut squash seasoned with Za'atar, a Middle-Eastern spice mix, and steamed, seasoned broccolini. This dish promises a delightful blend of flavors and textures for a memorable dining experience. Enjoy!
Good to Know STORY
Here are some fascinating tidbits about crabs, shrimps, and salmons, like the different species, where they live, and the ones we commonly enjoy eating.
Crabs boast incredible diversity, with over 6,800 species showcasing variations in habitats and sizes, including renowned edible types such as Dungeness and blue crab.
Shrimp, despite their short lifespan ranging from 1 to 7 years, embark on impressive migrations covering hundreds of miles. They communicate through intricate body movements and chemical signals, displaying intriguing social behaviors within their colonies.
Salmon, exemplified by Copper River sockeye salmon, engage in remarkable upstream migrations to spawn, overcoming challenging obstacles along their journey.
Soft-shell crabs provide a unique culinary delicacy, harvested during the molting phase when they shed their exoskeletons to grow.
The distinct pink hue in salmon flesh is attributed to a diet rich in astaxanthin, a pigment acquired from main prey like krill and shrimp.
These facts illuminate the diverse, resilient, and captivating nature of crab, shrimp, and salmon.
*Visit our store to learn more about the variety of fish Alaska has to offer, such as Copper River king salmon, wild Alaskan halibut, wild Alaskan black cod (sablefish), and more.