Salmon rollups

Well, apologies to any readers out there. I'm feeling guilty for not writing anything for a bit but a very, very nasty stomach bug had me out of the running (and completely uninterested in anything to do with food) for a little while there so it took a some time before I could contemplate an actual recipe and then making food (especially fish).
Still and all, here we are again, another week and another salmon recipe. This is one I was thinking about before I got sick and while I have to admit it wasn't quite as successful as I would have liked, it's mostly just a question of tweaking it because, flavour-wise, it definitely worked.
For some reason, I'd been thinking about rolling up thin slices of salmon with a kind of stuffing. Saw Jamie Oliver do something like this but with chicken I think. Then it's wrapped in bacon and sauted.
Now, I know, I know, you're thinking 'bacon?' I mean, if one is aiming at cooking more salmon to be heart healthy, then bacon seems to somewhat undermine that aim.
But now let's get one thing straight here ... we're not talking thick, fatty bacon filled to the brim with chemical smoke and other nasty stuff.
I went to The Markt deli in Nanaimo and owner Ryan sliced me some paper thin (I mean, really, really thin) slices of his naturally cured maple and black pepper bacon that's relatively lean and, because it was cut so thin, crisped up nicely leaving most of the fat behind in the pan. Get yours at any actual butcher shop so you can pick the kind of bacon you want and get it cut as thin as you want. You could also use Parma or prosciutto or something similar or even, I think, one of those turkey bacons. But when I saw that Ryan's was maple flavoured and knowing how well that goes with salmon, well I was sold.
Now the thing I would definitely change about this recipe is that while I tried to slice my salmon fillet piece thin enough, it was still pretty bulky and definitely next time I will flatten it more with a meat mallet. From what I read online (after the fact of course, silly me) you can do that with salmon, you just need to be a bit more gentle than with a chicken breast. Cover the salmon with plastic wrap, and gently pound it until it is quite thin. This will make the salmon more easily rollable and the rolls won't be quite so bulky.
A little refinement is a good thing. I must try it sometime ;0)
So, here's how to make bacon salmon rollups the right way.

I piece salmon fillet, little over one pound, 600 grams.
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
8 strips ultra thin cut, lean bacon, maple flavoured
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Splash of white wine (I used Zinfandel because that's what I had)
Blend of fresh or dried herbs, I used thyme, lime thyme and oregano, about 1 tbsp. in total
Four spears fresh asparagus, trimmed to slightly longer than your fillet pieces are wide

Slice salmon into two pieces, then slice lengthwise to make a total of four thin slices. Lay each piece between sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to flatten and thin out further
In a bowl, blend the bread crumbs and herbs, splash of wine and maple syrup.
Lay out fresh plastic wrap. Lay two slices of bacon on the wrap, lay one piece of salmon on top of the bacon, brush lightly with maple syrup, spread 1/4 of the bread crumb mix. Lay an asparagus spear on the end nearest you with the top peeking 1/2 inch over one side. Using the plastic wrap as an aid, roll up the bacon and salmon around the asparagus spear and affix with a toothpick or two. Repeat for all the bacon and salmon.
Get a non-stick pan medium hot and lay the salmon rollups (minus the plastic wrap I'm sure I don't need to say...) in the pan. Brown lightly on all four sides until bacon is crisp and salmon appears done through to the centre. Should take about 10 minutes in all or slightly less.
Slice the rollups onto the plate and serve with steamed corn and fresh tomatoes tossed in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and more of the same fresh herbs you used in the salmon.
Enjoy!

Thank you, Bobby Flay

I'm not sure if I've ever seen Food Network chef Bobby Flay actually make a salmon dish (though I'm sure he's whipped up thousands and they're all delicious) but in a roundabout way, he helped me make this dish.
I have been thinking about using mango with salmon for a couple of weeks but wasn't sure what to do .... sauce? pickle? stuffing? All of them have their potential but nothing had quite sold me until I was looking up a Bobby Flay recipe for something else I'd seen him do on TV. While I was on the site, (foodnetwork.ca or .com) I was browsing (as I do and, yes, hours can escape you on that damn site) and I typed in 'mango' and voila, I discovered a dish he does with mango salsa. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-jerk-chicken-with-mango-cilantro-salsa-recipe/index.html) Hmmmmm. So I looked at that recipe and liked what I saw but felt like I would rather have a warm topping for the salmon rather than a cold salsa. OK, so that's not hard ... make a salsa and heat it through, right? I know I'm not the first person to do this, but it was a first for me even thinking about it so I was feeling all Neil Armstrong on the moon about it all.
The only trouble was, I was also thinking about cheese - brie to be precise - because I'd been reading in a couple of places about salmon stuffed with brie. Well, long story short (too late?), I decided to use both ideas (hey, OK, I'm a bit of a glutton about tastes, I know). However, after looking at this recipe (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/salmon-with-mango-and-brie/detail.aspx), I went with topping the salmon with brie instead because, frankly, I wasn't in the mood to do the stuffing bit. And I also radically cut the cooking time from that recipe because I think the times cited in that recipe would result in overcooked salmon ... maybe her fillets were just really thick.
So, here's my salmon with brie and mango salsa that I served with asparagus spears and rice.

Make rice to your taste or noodles or potatoes are probably fine also. (I'm saving space and not giving a recipe for this as I pretty much assume anyone can make a pot of rice.) For the asparagus, I just got some water boiling and once I'd put the salmon into the oven (see below), I popped the spears - with the tough ends cut off - into the water for a couple of minutes.

2 salmon fillet pieces, about 250 grams each, half inch thick, skin and bones removed
brie, sliced thin
olive oil to saute

For salsa
2 mangos, ripe but firm, peeled and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
small handful chopped fresh cilantro (maybe 1/4 cup) and a few more leaves for garnish
1 whole habanero pepper or other hot pepper (optional)
3 tbsp. lime juice (took 2 limes which obviously weren't very juicy)
3 tbsp. orange juice (I squeezed 1 medium orange for this)
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix your salsa ingredients together in a small sauce pan. Let sit for a minute or two to marry flavours and then put on a medium-low heat. Stir from time to time. Liquids should mostly evaporate. Unless you really like your heat, be very careful not to squish or puncture the habanero pepper.
Brown the salmon pieces quickly in hot oil, in an oven-proof fry pan. About two minutes per side if fine.
Lay a leaf or two of cilantro on top of each piece and then put on a couple of slices of brie cheese to mostly cover the salmon. Cover pan and pop into the oven for about 5 minutes.

While the salmon is in the oven, plate your rice and asparagus, then lay the salmon on top and spoon the hot salsa (after removing the habanero) onto the rice and salmon. Decorate with a sprig or two of fresh cilantro.

Now, one thing I noticed (and you can see the result in the photo) is that the recipe I read said nothing about taking the rind off the brie. Since I sliced my brie very thin (I am, after all, trying to be heart smart in these recipes) it dissolved almost completely around the salmon leaving only the rind lying on top. Well, personally I thought it looked rather pretty, but you might prefer not to have it there. Also, rather than thin slices, you might prefer to put a couple of cubes on, as this might not dissolve quite so fast in the oven. I just scooped the melted brie onto the salmon again.
It tasted absolutely delicious with a nice heat from the habanero but nothing overwhelming. The citrusy mango salsa was perfect with the richness of the salmon and cheese.
This is a dish I will make again and would definitely serve to guests though, in that case, I would certainly remove the cheese rind just for the visuals.