In the April 2012 Eating Well magazine there was an article about sustainable salmon from Alaska. When I saw the recipe for what amounts to a salmon pot pie (perok), I knew I had to make it. I used Wild Planet canned salmon. I even cut out a little fish shape for the top. The recipe called for cutting out a salmon shape, but seriously.
I don’t make brown rice, but I had to buy a bag to make this recipe. The rice took at least an hour to make and I will spend that time again because it was delicious. It had a teaspoon of dried thyme in it which sounds like not so much, but in practice it is a ton of thyme.
The other ingredients were a cup of frozen peas (I know. I say I hate peas and yet I use them in recipes.), caramelized onions and salmon. The top crust was a blend of whole wheat flour, AP flour, salt, thyme, cayenne and nutmeg. I used up the last of an olive oil the better-half didn’t like. I made the dough ahead of time and let it rest in the refrigerator.
Here’s the perok with a scoop out of it:
The little fish shape on the top came out pretty well when you consider I’m not an artist. It was probably the thing I liked best about this recipe (except for the rice). I don’t know what went wrong but it did not float my boat in the least. The better-half wasn’t thrilled either. It’s a shame because it ended up being a lot to throw away. Thankfully, there are some stray cats, perhaps I’ve mentioned them, who will eat it.
It looks pretty good though. Maybe it was too dry?
It was too dry and it needed salt. The better-half wondered if the salmon had been fresh if that would have made a difference. If I’m ever hanging out in Alaska, I’d probably order the dish at a restaurant to see how it’s supposed to taste.