Recipe: Quick and Company-Worthy Salmon Inspired by Scotland

Finished salmon dish Credit: Andy Brumbaugh

My husband and I wanted to go to Scotland for our honeymoon, but then the mad cow disease epidemic happened, and it didn’t seem like a romantic getaway to traverse the country with burning piles of cattle everywhere like a forbidden barbecue. We ended up going to Prague in the Czech Republic instead, and it was fantastic and unforgettable, but the dream of traveling to Scotland never left us.

This past spring, for our 25th anniversary, we finally made the trip. It was utterly astounding. Over 12 days, we saw 11 castles, three historic houses, 12 museums and other historic places, and seven Neolithic sites. We drove nearly 1,500 miles. Most of the Neolithic sites were on mainland Orkney, which is an island off the northeast coast of Scotland, reached via an hour-and-a-half ferry trip. We spent two days there and found the sites awe-inspiring — older than the Pyramids, full of so much history and stories we can mostly only guess at.

I think that through the years, Scotland (and the rest of the United Kingdom) has gotten an undeserved bad reputation for its food. We had universally delicious meals on our trip. This dish is my version of my absolute favorite meal of the whole trip, at the Merkister Hotel, which our Airbnb hosts recommended for local eats. Always a fan of salmon, I saw a dish that had smoked salmon in cream cheese baked on top of a fillet of salmon … how could I resist?

Since we got home, I have made this dish three times, and I’ll absolutely make it many times more. Quick and relatively simple, it’s still an impressive dish that you can be proud to share with company — or just enjoy with your family. The recipe does not use the entire amount of smoked salmon cream cheese, so you have the bonus of extra for your bagels. I like using whipped cream cheese for this recipe because it is easier to mix in the smoked salmon. I also prefer salted butter, but keep in mind the smoked salmon can be a bit salty as you plan your sides.

We enjoyed it with roasted potatoes and a nice side salad.

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon
Boneless skin-on salmon fillets (1 per person)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 small package smoked salmon
1 8-ounce container of whipped cream cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the salmon fillets and sprinkle with dill. Let marinate for at least 10 to 15 minutes. (This can be done ahead of time; wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to use.)
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan and toast the panko breadcrumbs over medium-high heat, stirring until lightly browned. Set aside.
Chop the smoked salmon into small pieces and stir into the whipped cream cheese. Set aside.
Melt remaining butter in a large sauté or frying pan. (Cast iron works great.)
Sear the salmon fillets in butter over medium-high heat for one minute, skin side down, then flip and sear for an additional 30 seconds. (The searing helps to keep the topping from sliding off the salmon.)
Transfer the salmon, skin side down, to a baking pan. (If your frying pan is large enough and oven-safe, you can leave the salmon in it, skin side down.)
Top each fillet with about 4 tablespoons of smoked salmon cream cheese, spreading with a spatula or a small piece of parchment paper to make sure the entire top is covered evenly.
Evenly coat the top of the cream cheese with panko breadcrumbs.
Bake for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

The original print version of this article was headlined “Quick and Company-Worthy Salmon | A dish inspired by a recent trip to Orkney, Scotland”