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Recipe: Samurai Salmon

The Traffic Jam & Snug offers diners an ocean of possibilities

By Cathy Nelson

Photo by Daniel Lippitt

Nestled on a brick street in the heart of Detroit’s Midtown is a place that is as classic as it is contemporary. The Traffic Jam & Snug, 511 W. Canfield, has lured customers to experience true dining diversity since 1965. Where else in metro Detroit can you find a restaurant with an in-house bakery, microbrewery and dairy?

Visitors are invited to climb the stairs to a balcony and observe the equipment, which makes both beer and cheese.

Then, of course, there’s the food. Each meal begins with a fresh basket of head baker Pete Waldamier’s bread of the day, with selections ranging from vegetable breads to multigrain sourdough and cheese loaves. Diners can choose from homemade soups, fresh salads, tantalizing sandwiches and unique entrées. And save room for a selection from the infamous Traffic Jam dessert menu, which always includes a healthy fruit selection served with yogurt and honey, along with the popular Chocolate Chip Cookie in Fancy Dress, a fresh-baked cookie wrapped in vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, both made on the premises. Hey, you can always share with a friend and hit the treadmill in the morning.

Among the restaurant’s eclectic entrées is this month’s featured recipe, Samurai Salmon, created by Chef Jodi Laney. The dish features a fresh filet of salmon stuffed with jalapeno-studded cream cheese and asparagus spears, wrapped in toasted seaweed, and then baked. Serve it on a bed of sesame brown rice and finish with a drizzle of mango/soy reduction.

SAMURAI SALMON

(Serves four)

Ingredients

For salmon

• 4 6-ounce salmon filets, skinned
• 2 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese
• 16 thin asparagus spears
• 2 sheets nori
• Salt and pepper to taste

For rice

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups water

For mango reduction

• 1 cup fresh or frozen mango
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons powdered hot mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Wearing gloves*, slice each salmon filet lengthwise across the top, three-quarters of the way through. Remove seeds and stem from jalapeños and finely chop. Mix into room temperature cream cheese. Stuff mixture into salmon filets. Set aside.

Pour rice into saucepan. Add sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt. Toast rice over low heat, add water, bring to boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and cook until all water is absorbed, at least 20 minutes.

While rice is cooking, lay four asparagus spears onto each stuffed filet. Soften nori sheets with warm water and wrap around salmon, hiding the seam under the salmon. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the reduction, add mango, soy sauce and hot mustard to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for three minutes until reduced. Puree until smooth. Add honey.

Serve fish on rice and drizzle with mango reduction.

*Be careful not to touch your eyes, as any residue from the jalapeños can burn. If gloves are not available, be sure to wash your hands well with soap after handling pepper.