Stuffed Salmon with Spinach and Three Cheeses — The Break-Fast Centerpiece That Says We Survived

The week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — the ten Days of Awe, when you are supposed to reflect on the past year and make amends and generally take stock of your soul. I am an imperfect Jew in many ways, but I take this week seriously. I teach English, and English teachers know that revision is the most important part of writing. The Days of Awe are a revision period for the self. What did I write poorly this year? What needs editing? What can I cut?

The cooking this week is lighter — we are building toward the Yom Kippur fast, and the meal before the fast must be substantial enough to carry us through twenty-five hours without food but gentle enough not to make us regret it by hour twelve. I made chicken — roasted, simple, with potatoes and carrots and the rosemary from Marvin's garden. This is not a showy meal. This is fuel. The showiness will come at break-fast, when I will produce a table of bagels and lox and cream cheese and whitefish salad and rugelach and coffee cake and the specific bounty that says: we survived. We always survive.

At school, my students are struggling with Catcher in the Rye, as they should. A girl named Amanda raised her hand and said, "Mrs. Feldman, why should I care about a rich white boy who's sad?" And I said, "Because sadness is not exclusive to any demographic, Amanda, and if you can learn to care about someone whose life looks nothing like yours, you will have learned the most important thing literature teaches." She looked unconvinced. She'll get there. They always get there.

I called Miriam. Our Friday call, the pre-Shabbat check-in that we have maintained since she moved to Tel Aviv in 1995. Twenty-one years of Friday calls. She told me about Yom Kippur in Israel, where the whole country shuts down — no cars on the roads, children riding bicycles in the empty streets, the nation fasting together in a way that feels different from fasting in the diaspora, where you fast surrounded by people eating. I envied her for a moment. Then I remembered that I have Marvin's chicken and my kitchen and the Oceanside synagogue and my children and grandchildren within driving distance, and the envy passed, replaced by the recognition that we have each built good lives, Miriam and I, in different places, from the same ingredients.

Yom Kippur is tomorrow. I will fast. I will pray. I will think about Sylvia and Irving and the years that were and the years that are left. And then I will eat, because fasting teaches you that eating is holy, and I have always believed that the kitchen is a temple.

After I break the fast, I never want Marvin’s chicken — that comes later, that is a Shabbat thing, a different kind of holy. What I want after Yom Kippur is something that feels like a gift to myself, something that says the body is forgiven and welcome back. This year I made a stuffed salmon I’ve been turning over in my mind since summer — rich with three cheeses and spinach, the kind of dish that feels celebratory without being heavy, which is exactly right when your stomach has been empty since sundown the night before. Here is how I make it.

Stuffed Salmon with Spinach and Three Cheeses

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), center-cut, skin on
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or oven-safe skillet and set aside.
2. Wilt the spinach. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and toss until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then press out any excess moisture with a paper towel.
3. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, red pepper flakes (if using), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Fold in the cooled spinach mixture until evenly incorporated.
4. Prepare the salmon. Pat the fillets dry. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal pocket into the thickest side of each fillet, slicing almost—but not all the way—through. Season the outside of each fillet with the remaining salt and pepper.
5. Stuff the fillets. Spoon a generous 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese filling into each pocket, pressing gently to close. If needed, secure with a toothpick.
6. Roast. Place the stuffed fillets on the prepared pan and roast for 16 to 20 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily at its thickest point. The filling will be puffed and just golden at the edges.
7. Rest and serve. Let the salmon rest for 2 minutes before serving. Remove any toothpicks and plate with lemon wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 475 | Protein: 44g | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 430mg