Recipes for smoked salmon

Bargain_Rzl

About 2 months ago I managed to pick up 4 packets of smoked salmon for a negative amount of money at Sainsburys (they were on BOGOF and reduced to clear for 10p each!) 3 of them are still in the freezer and I don't have a clue what to do with them.

Was thinking of pasta dishes (something like: smoked salmon, penne, cream, dill, lemon juice) but I need to do something which freezes as I generally make 4 portions at a time and freeze the spares as microwaveable packed lunches (or evening meals for when I get home late and/or don't fancy cooking).

Am getting v. confused though because:

(1) I don't know whether dishes with cream in them freeze

(2) can you "cook" smoked salmon anyway? I mean, if I was cobbling together a pasta dish without using a recipe, I'd probably be inclined to add the smoked salmon at the last minute and just warm it through, but of course then it hasn't "changed state" so I wouldn't be able to freeze the end product as it's already been frozen.

(3) If one packet of smoked salmon makes 4 portions of pasta (based on 500g pasta) and I'm not sure if it does, I've obviously got to defrost the whole packet at once, so obviously have to use it all up at the same time (so can't just make up the pasta and sauce in portions and add one portion's worth of smoked salmon when required).

Pleeeeease can anybody give me some recipe ideas that get round these problems? I'll eat anything as long as it's cheap and nutritious Or do I have to have days where I defrost one pack at a time and make a smoked salmon bagel for breakfast, smoked salmon sarnies for lunch and then do a single portion of smoked salmon pasta for dinner?

Ta muchly
Rzl

Downsizing__for_sanity

If you put smoked salmon into a creamy sauce and simmer it for about 5-10 mins, you'll see that it changes colour from being kind of transparent and gelatinous, to being opaque and kind of flaky, a bit more like normal cooked salmon. It will still taste like smoked salmon though. This might mean that it has in fact "changed state". As far as I know, you can buy a pasta sauce with smoked salmon in, and I'm sure you can freeze it. Maybe just freeze it as soon as it's cooled, to limit bacterial growth?

H2H,

DFS

se999

Hi,

Well Ok, I assume it's the big packs, ideally you split the packs before freezing, but I forget too

I've found that you can normally peel off the slices you need for cooking without defrosting, there's normally the plastic sheets inbetween slices which helps. They do break up a bit, but if you're cooking with it it doesn't matter.

If it's frozen too solid, I use kitchen scissors and cut off the amount I need to defrost!!

Both these techniques mean that you only defrost what you need.

Most receipes seem to be for uncooked/lightly cooked smoked salmon. I have come accross smoked salmon quiches though, but not got a recipe.

Our favorites for smoked salmon are:
With pasta and cream as you've already said.
With scrambled egg for breakfast.
With cream cheese on bagels.

I can't resist buying it when it's on special offer, and you use a small amount so it doesn't work out that expensive, well that's my excuse

ChocClare

How about making a quiche with it? Fry some onions, add your salmon and some watercress and cook until the salmon turns opaque. Or if you don't like watercress, fry some leeks very slowly so they're soft and then add the salmon. Season if necessary, tip the salmon mixture into a pastry case which you've already baked blind; beat together a couple of eggs, half a pint of milk and some cream if you have any; add some pepper and salt and tip over the salmon mix. Grate some cheese over the top. Bake in the oven and then freeze (you can be sure it's cooked then!).

GIRLPOWER_2

My fav's are

onion bagel, cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onion topped with fresh dill... and christmas morning would not be the same with out.. scrambled eggs made with double cream and real butter and cut up and stir in some smoked salmon at the end.. serve on toasted muffins and a glass of chilled bucks fizz.... pure bliss.

Debt_Free_Chick

Here's my standard smoked salmon sauce for pasta. (Standard, as in "I always do this with smoked salmon for a pasta - but the result is a luxurious sauce, very impressive!)

Like you, I get the SS on offer, make a batch and freeze it. Works a dream - just reheat gently. Best thing is, it only takes 5 mins to make!

30g butter
1/2 small onion (or shallots, for a more delicate flavour)
150g smoked salmon
200ml single cream

Melt butter, cook finely chopped onion until soft, but don't let it change colour.
Ad half the salmon, roughly chopped and the cream. Warm gently.
Biltz in a processor or blender until mooth.
Cut the remaining salmon into strips.

At this point, you can just add the strips to the sauce. Or you can freeze them separately and add them when you cook the pasta. If so, cook the pasta, reheat the salmon sauce gently. When the pasta is cooked, stir the salmon strips into the sauce with the black pepper and serve. Voila!

This should serve four hungry people or four for a main course .. or six little people, with appetites to match, or six for a starter.

Enjoy

Agutka

Hello.
How do I make smoked salmon into a hot meal? Time has ran out on it, and I've been eating philadelphia bagels for three days!
Looking around here, I've come across tagiatelle with cream, but how do I make that - cook pasta, then chuck the cold stuff on, or heat up the fish and cream? Anything low fat instead of cream? What veggies can I add?
Thanks.

Debt_Free_Chick

Put pasta on to cook.

Soften finely chopped onion in oil, add smoked salmon and warm through.

Add half/two thirds of the cream and warm through.

Blitz the whole lot in a food processor/blender. Add remaining cream and warm through.

Drain pasta

Put salmon sauce on top. Black pepper. Eat

You can reserve some strips of smoked salmon to add at the end (when you add the remaining cream) if you like, purely to vary the texture.

Pink.

Another good way to use up smoked salmon is with scrambled eggs and melba toast...

toast the bread
cut off the crusts
slice down through the middle (you'll need a sharpish knife) and put under a hot grill untoasted side up
watch it carefully.....as soon as it starts to curl take it out....reserve and allow to cool.

arrange smoked salmon on a plate

cook scrambled eggs

serve

Pink

Agutka

Yummmmmm.

Is there any substitute for the cream in such a recipe? Hubby just read and whimpered 'I can't have cream' - trying to get cholesterol down.