Salmon and cream cheese balls

Use leftover salmon as topping for a green salad, in an omelette or as mash for salmon cakes.

Buy only salmon that looks moist, has shiny, bright skin and firm flesh. Avoid any fish with a pungent, fishy aroma.

The orange flesh of wild salmon comes from krill, a marine animal they eat, while farmed salmon get their colour from an orange dye.

Fresh salmon here is chilled and air-flown. It can last for up to two days if stored in the chiller, and for six months in the freezer.


Salmon - Part 1.

A rich and nutty snack.

Ingredients (makes 20):
350-400g salmon fillet
1 block Philadelphia cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 medium-sized red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp horseradish sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
A small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Bake the salmon for 25 minutes.
2. When the salmon has cooled, flake it with a fork and discard the skin.
3. In a large bowl, mix the salmon and the cream cheese until it forms a smooth paste. Add the onion, horseradish sauce, lemon juice and salt, and mix well. Chill for 1 hour.
4. Mix the parsley and pistachios and spread on a plate. Remove the salmon mixture from the fridge and shape into balls. Roll the balls in the parsley and pistachio spread to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Tips:
Use pecans or walnuts in place of pistachios.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Apr 2008)