The stuffing is mounded on top of whole salmon fillets rather than tucked inside. It combines cooked lump crab with finely chopped raw shrimp, bound with panko, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and lemon.
While the salmon bakes, butter and cream simmer briefly into a pale sauce that is spooned around the fillets at the end.
Salmon in the Oven, Sauce on the Stove
The sauce is made during the bake, so both are ready together.
Oven
- 400°F
Seasoned fillets in an oiled dish, topped with the crab and shrimp stuffing.
- 18 to 22 minutes
Baked until the salmon reaches 145°F and the stuffing is opaque.
Small saucepan
- Meanwhile
Butter melted, then heavy cream added.
- 2 to 3 minutes
Simmered gently until pale and slightly thickened.
Plated
The butter-cream sauce spooned around each stuffed fillet, finished with chopped chives.
How to Make It
Oven heated, crab and shrimp stuffing mixed
Heat the oven to 400°F. Mix the crab, chopped raw shrimp, panko, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice and half the salt.
Salmon seasoned and topped with stuffing
Season the salmon with the rest of the salt and the black pepper and set it in a baking dish brushed with olive oil. Mound the stuffing over the fillets.
Baked until 145°F and the stuffing is opaque
Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the salmon reaches 145°F and the seafood stuffing is fully cooked and opaque.
Butter-cream sauce simmered
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the cream and simmer gently 2 to 3 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
Sauce spooned around, chives
Spoon the butter-cream sauce around the salmon and finish with chopped chives.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chopping the raw shrimp finely lets it cook through in the same time as the salmon.
- Mayonnaise and panko keep the stuffing moist and hold it on top of the fish.
- Lemon zest and juice cut through the richness of the seafood and cream.
- A short simmer is all the butter and cream need to thicken slightly.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked lump crab meat and raw shrimp
- Four ounces of each. The shrimp is raw and finely chopped; both are shellfish allergens.
- Skinless salmon fillets
- Four 6-ounce fillets, baked to 145°F.
- Heavy cream and butter
- Half a cup of cream with 2 tbsp butter for the pale sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the shrimp in the stuffing cooked?
It goes in raw and cooks in the oven; make sure it is fully opaque when the salmon reaches 145°F.
Is the stuffing inside the salmon?
No. It is mounded on top of each whole fillet.
Is the crab real?
Yes. It uses cooked lump crab meat.
Success Tips
- Chop the shrimp small so no large raw pieces are left after baking.
- Press the stuffing lightly onto the fillets so it stays in place.
- Check that the shrimp in the stuffing has turned opaque before serving.
Serving Ideas
Set each fillet on a plate with the stuffing on top, pool the butter-cream sauce around it and scatter chives.
