How to Make, Crispy Asian Salmon Samosas.

These Asian Salmon Samosas are a simple twist on the Indian classic. best of all they are quick and easy to make. The oiliness of salmon lends itself to the oriental flavours of ginger and garlic. With just a hint of chilli to freshen everything up

I like to serve these with my Chilli and Tomato Jam, into which I’ve added a squeeze of lime. If you are yet to make some, try mixing some chili sauce into tomato ketchup and add a squeeze of lime. Not quite as good but an acceptable cheat if you’re in a hurry.

Which ever dip you choose these are sure to be a favourite, with the crispy pastry, yielding to the soft fragrant salmon within.

You will need.

• Chopping board and knife
• Fine microplane grater
• Mixing bowl
• Small pan to melt the butter
• Pastry brush
• Lined baking tray

Asian Salmon Samosas.

Makes 6.

Oven temperature, 220˚c – 195˚ fan.

The Filling.

• 225g               salmon fillet, free of skin and bones
• Good pinch table salt
• 3                      Spring onions
• 1                      garlic clove
• Thumbnail    of ginger root
• 1 mild             fresh red chilli
• 50 g                fresh coriander
• Zest of a lime, plus a few drops of the juice
• dash               Thai fish sauce

The pastry.

• 6 large sheets of filo pastry Chilled, not frozen.
• Nigella seeds
• melted butter, for brushing

The samosas can be made some time in advance and baked later. However, the seasonings added to the salmon will in time begin to cure the fish. This is fine but some of the delicate texture and fresh flavour will be lost. If at all possible, have everything cut ready, then mix the filling, and make the samosas as close to serving as is practical. Then all you have to do is bake them just before serving. Its important the use clear melted butter (ghee) to brush the pastry. The butter will set as it cools and waterproof the pastry. This will help prevent the moist filling making the pastry soft and soggy.

Asian Salmon Samosas – Salting the Salmon.

Check the salmon filet over for any bones or skin still remining. Then cut the fish into roughly 1.5 cm dice. Don’t worry if it’s not too neat, no one will ever know. Lay the cut fish onto some kitchen paper and sprinkle with the table salt.

Leave the salmon to stand while the rest of the ingredients are prepared, but no longer than 8 to 10 minutes. This process not only flavours the fish. But also removes some of the moisture from the fish, keeping the pastry crisp.

Asian Salmon Samosas – the flavourings.

Peel and finely slice the spring onions, and place into a bowl. Grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl together with the lime zest. Make sure these are grated as finely as possible using a very sharp microplane grater.

Finely chop the coriander, then remove the seeds from the chilli and very finely chop the flesh, then add them both to the mixing bowl.

Asian Salmon Samosas – Mixing the filling.

Using a fresh piece of kitchen paper, brush off any unused salt from the salmon. Add the diced fish to the bowl with all the flavourings and gently mix together. Sprinkle the Thai fish sauce over the contents, together with a little juice from the grated lime.

Put the bowl to one side and clean up ready to tackle the pastry.

Asian Salmon Samosas – filling and folding.

When working with filo pastry we need to be careful not to allow it to dry out. If left unattended, the pastry will become crisp and disintegrate into small pieces as soon as you touch it.

To prevent this as soon as the pastry in unwrapped I recommend covering it with two layers of cling film followed by a damp (not wet) tea towel.

Turn the chopping board around so the longer edge is running away from you (portrait style). Make sure the board is completely clean and dry, and you have a lined baking tray beside you ready to receive the Samosas.

Melt the butter in a small pan, but don’t allow it to become too hot. When the butter is melted you will notice a milky liquid sitting under the clear liquid butter. This is buttermilk that was lurking in the butter. Decant the clear liquid butter into a small bowl, leaving the buttermilk behind, then discard the buttermilk and return the clear butter to the warm pan.

Folding the Pastry.

Take a sheet of pastry, recovering the rest. Lay the sheet onto the board, again with the longer edge running away from you.

Lightly brush the left-hand half of the pastry with melted butter. Then fold the right-hand side of the pastry over the buttered side.

Bush this fresh face of the pastry with melted butter and we are ready to start filling.

Filling the Samosas.

If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to turn on the oven and heat it to 220˚c – 195˚c fan.

Roughly divide the filling in the bowl into six sections, then place one section onto the pastry strip, roughly 3cm up from the bottom edge of the pastry.

Now take a bottom corner of the pastry and fold it over the filling.

Take the pastry right up to opposite side of the pastry strip, so to form a triangle

Now pick up a bottom corner and fold diagonally over towards the long edge, to make a triangle. Working in a zig-zag fashion from the longest edge of the triangle fold the samosa over from side to side until all the pastry sheet is used.

Transfer the samosa to the baking tray, give it one last brush of butter and a sprinkle of nigella seeds.

Asian Salmon Samosas – baking.

Repeat the process with all the sheets of pastry, then bake the Samosas for 15 to 20 minutes. While they are baking mix some lime juice into the tomato and chilli jam. Have that ready in a dipping bowl, and a serving dish ready to go.

Serve the Samosas straight from the oven, warning your guests that they are piping hot, sit back and enjoy.

Enjoy Life!

John.

©John Webber2025