Sunday, March 7, 2010

old world meets new

I like to make this elegant, yet earthy little supper in early spring, just after the coldest of winter has passed, but before the arrival of warm breezes, and after I've tucked my Zhivago hat away for the season. It conjurs thoughts of all things romanticly Old World and Russian. Tell me if this little goody doesn't become one of your favorites, as well.


Salmon Pirog


dough:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4-6 Tbsp ice water

2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 small head green cabbage finely shredded
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley, or 1 tsp dry
4 tsp minced fresh dill, or 2 tsp dry
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 pound salmon fillet or four small, thin fillets
1 egg
1 cup cooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup sour cream

Use the top set of ingredients to make pastry dough. You know the scoop. Cut in the butter and then add the water until it forms a ball. Yada yada yada. Divide in half. Refrigerate.

Saute cabbage and 2 Tbsp water until tender. Stir in 1 Tbsp parsley with 1 tsp dill weed, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. In same pan, saute the onion and mushrooms in canola oil until tender and liquid is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, 1 tsp dill and 1 Tbsp parsley.

On lightly floured surface, roll out one ball of dough into a rectangle 10 x 14 inches. Cut dough lengthwise and crosswise making 4 small rectangles. Brush with egg wash (egg + 1 Tbsp water, dash salt). Spread 1/4 rice on each rectangle, leaving 1 inch border around edges of the dough. Do the same with the cabbage, over the rice, in a thin layer. Cut and arrange raw salmon over the cabbage layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Lastly, spread the mushroom layer over the salmon.

Roll the second ball of dough just like the first, cutting into 4 rectangles. Lay these over the fillings, lining up edges, stretching if necessary. Pinch edges to seal. Brush top with egg wash. Cut vents in top. Bake 375 on ungreased baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with sour cream, mixed with 2 tsp dill.

50 comments:

  1. That sounds amazing! And me with a fillet of salmon defrosting in the sink -- but I suspect I'd better try it another time - no sour cream in the fridge nor any dill, fresh or otherwise. But try it, I must!

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  2. Oooh, lemon in the pastry dough -- brilliant!

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  3. i'll have to try this! seems we all have the same idea, well, seafood tonight, sugar! i'm doing roasted shrimp in a lemon sauce over angel hair pasta! xoxo

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  4. Oh, that sounds simply AMAZING-I'm a huge sea food and salmon person, so this is definitely appealing to my taste buds :)
    Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Looks and sounds great Willow! How funny that I was just writing my posting for my St Patrick's Day Menu, which includes Salmon. It will be up in a couple days in case you're curious.

    Best,

    David
    http://www.globalaroundtown.blogspot.com

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  6. Looks and sound delicious!

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  7. wow willow...that sounds and looks amazing. we just had salmon tonight...

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  8. Oooh, very nice! I'm doing Eggplant/Chicken Lasagna tonight for our wedding anniversary which we celebrated apart on Wednesday! Salmon Pirog will definitely be on the menu soon!

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  9. Initially it took me back to a lamb pie (v English) I made last week (not usualy summer fare - southern hemisphere but it's been raining a lot so...)and I started to drool again. The I noticed the cabbage and I thought hmmm German, then i see you've got Russia as a tag. I don't associate salmon with Russia (mainly because I don't know any better and all our salmon comes from Tasmania and the southern oceans - I only associate Russia with tall blonde female tennis players and short dodgy men in suits) My ignorance is now apparent to all. the recipe smells wonderful. YUM. PS thanks for signing up to my blog.

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  10. It's already my pre-spring, post-winter, post-warm hat, pre-warm breezes supper. I'll update you when I make it!

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  11. Little Hat, well, maybe I should call it American, or Alaskan. Remember, we can see Russia from there...heehee!

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  12. Now my mouth is watering .... and I wouldn't mind finishing the meal off with your new favourite cookie in the sidebar. What a way to start my morning .... thinking about food ..... and I havn't even had my first coffee yet.

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  13. This sounds really delicious...I'm printing out a copy and will definitely make this...a very unusual recipe...
    Thanks!

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  14. Willow: So far, I'm batting 100 per cent on you recipes. I've teste the last three and they are winners, even for a picky hubby. This one I will also try.

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  15. Reverend Gilliam does look just like Lincoln. That's amazing.

    Amazing, too, is your early early spring recipe. Sounds delicious!

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  16. Looks delish, I will have to give it a go!

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  17. Wow! Great combo, super presentation.

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  18. That is kinda fancy, usually I don't want to try something fancy, just simple things for me. But you know, I might try this. You give me inspiration. For that, I thank you. I am printing this out and will try this soon. We just had salmon steaks last week. It is so great tasting. I hope you are having a great weekend.

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  19. It looks incredible, even though I can't eat pastry, but I so wish we had aroma vision on these high technology computers!!

    CJ xx

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  20. I will ask Patty to take a look at this.

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  21. Oh yum! It looks divine. Bon Appetit!

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  22. This is a good one! I checked out your sidebar and will be trying a couple more...good food made well...what could be better?! Thank you.

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  23. Blue Sky, you're most welcome. Let me know how you like it~!

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  24. Oh, you had me at the dill--nothing like salmon with dill. And the lemon in the dough sounds really good! Yum.

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  25. I am a huge fan of your furry hat! Enjoy this week .........

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  26. Now just what I need another recipe to try; looks soooo good though that if the pork roast I want to put into the oven soon does not thaw, I just may give this a try for tonight! Yummyyyyy ahead!

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  27. Sounds (and looks) delish! Makes me crave chicken pot pie, too.

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  28. Hello Willow,

    I always think of this sort of pie as a "coulibiac". I have made several versions of salmon en croute but never with the rice, which I know is a central part of this Russian-style dish. I really must try it!

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  29. Not only is the recipe amazing, but as I was reading, I was looking through the window, too, and the most amazing twilight ever was taking place at the same time. Magical post for a magical evening.

    Greetings from London.

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  30. That sounds very delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  31. This looks delicious...I love salmon!

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  32. What time are you expecting me?!

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  33. T, get over here now and let's eat!! :P

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  34. boy that sounds delicious and it sounds reasonably easy to make.

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  35. Oh yes! Salmon Pirog. Sounds delicious, Willow.

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  36. Yeow, this looks very good. Flaky and melt in your mouth mmmm.

    I love your recipe posts.

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  37. Thank you for yet another tasty sounding recipe, an unusual one too.

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  38. That does sound nice. I'm very lazy though - I just buy ready rolled pastry - the French stuff here is better than my home made efforts.

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  40. FF, I've made this recipe with the ready made rolled pastry, and it works well, though not quite as tasty as the homemade.

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  41. Pirog? A huge pirogi? It has the Omega 3 in the salmon. It is a take on the home-made chicken pot pie I love. Or a tortierre. Definitely will try my hand at this delicious-looking pastry. It depends on the flour for my successful pies, etc. Lately the flour is too gluten-y or I am not sifting enough or I am not buying proper pastry flour. What kind of flour are you using Willow! Thanks!

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  42. Yum, looks and sounds great but maybe a little too much work?

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  43. Chiccoreal, I just used regular old unbleached flour!

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  44. Thank you Willow for a tempting salmon dish..

    Happy days

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  45. willow,

    i hope my mom wrote this whole recipe down.
    if not i will send it to her.
    we can make it together when i am in maine.
    xxx

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  46. Oh, I'm planning on making these very soon--they sound wonderful!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)