Wild Salmon and Prosciutto Cups - AIP elimination compliant

These cups look more complicated than they are. Pulse the salmon filling, line a muffin tin with prosciutto, spoon the filling in, fold the edges over, and bake. That is the entire method, and it takes about 20 minutes of actual work. What you get back is 10 individual portions that hold their shape in a container, useful for the days this week when you will not have time to cook at all.

Wild salmon is the backbone of the nutrition in these cups. The fat inside it is mostly omega-3, and current research ties omega-3 intake to a more settled inflammatory response across the months a protocol like this one takes to do its work. The kelp flakes folded into the filling are a small but real source of iodine, the mineral the thyroid needs just to make hormone in the first place. For anyone managing Hashimoto's or a related thyroid condition, that pairing in one bite is not incidental.

The prosciutto wrapping each cup came from an animal that was raised and fed before it ever reached your kitchen. Naming that, even briefly, is part of eating well. Arrange the finished cups on a plate you like, with a wedge of lemon and a little cilantro scattered over, and let them look like the care that went into them.

Ingredients

• small amount of coconut oil, to grease the muffin tin
• 10 slices prosciutto
• 1 lb wild salmon, skin off and cubed
• 1/2 cup pitted black kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 1/2 packed cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fish sauce (use an AIP-friendly brand - fish and salt only, no soy or sugar)
• zest of 1 large lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kelp flakes
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

No AIP swaps needed. This recipe is elimination-compliant as written, provided you use an AIP-friendly fish sauce.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 375F (190C). Grease a standard muffin tin lightly with coconut oil.

1. Line 10 of the muffin cups with a slice of prosciutto each. Press the prosciutto against the sides and base so it conforms to the shape of the cup, leaving the edges draped over the rim.

1. Place the cubed salmon into the bowl of a food processor. Add the roughly chopped olives, cilantro, red onion, fish sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, kelp flakes, and pumpkin puree. Pulse 8-10 times until the mixture is combined but still has some texture - you are not making a paste. Stop before it becomes uniform.

1. Divide the salmon mixture evenly among the 10 prosciutto-lined cups, filling each one. Fold the prosciutto edges up and over the top of the filling to partially enclose each cup.

1. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through and the prosciutto is beginning to crisp at the edges. The filling should feel set, not soft, when you press it gently. (Times may vary by oven - check at 15 minutes.)

1. Let the cups cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing with a small offset spatula or spoon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Adapted from healingfamilyeats.com*