This cheesy stuffed salmon may defy many culinary aficionados’ strong beliefs that seafood and cheese should never be combined, but trust me when I say it’s worth breaking the rules for.
Ingredients
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
2 ounces frozen chopped spinach (about 3/4 cup frozen)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces baby arugula (about 6 cups)
Instructions
Place 4 ounces cream cheese in a medium bowl. Thaw 2 ounces spinach according to package instructions.
Wrap the spinach in paper towels or a kitchen towel and wring out until completely dry. Add to the bowl of cream cheese.
Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon until you have 1 teaspoon zest, then add to the bowl. Cut the lemon in half. Juice half the zested lemon until you have 2 teaspoons juice. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges. Reserve the juice and wedges.
Shred 2 ounces mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup), and finely grate 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup). Add the mozzarella, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or red pepper flakes to the bowl of cream cheese. Let sit until the cream cheese is softened, about 20 minutes. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined.
Place 4 salmon fillets on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut a 2-inch-long, 3/4-inch-deep slit into the side of each salmon fillet to create a pocket (be sure not to cut all the way through). Season the salmon fillets all over, including the pocket, with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Stuff each pocket with about 2 heaping tablespoons of spinach-cream cheese mixture and use a table knife to spread it evenly (you will have some filling left over).
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon (work in 2 batches if needed so as not to crowd the pan), press them down with a fish or flat spatula into the pan for about a minute, and sear until golden-brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the salmon, cover, and cook until the second side is golden-brown, the fish is opaque, and the filling is melted, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. When melted, swirl the pan around until the butter is golden-brown and nutty-smelling, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the reserved 2 teaspoons lemon juice, season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Divide 5 ounces baby arugula between 4 plates, then drizzle with olive oil. Top each with a piece of salmon. Spoon the browned butter over the salmon and serve with the lemon wedges.
