A close up of sesame seed crackers on a blue and white cloth
November 16, 2023
A close up of sesame seed crackers on a blue and white cloth

Brain Healthy Ingredients: Cold water fish, Red berries, Sesame

Serves: 4

Sesame seeds contain lipophilic antioxidants, which may prevent age-related diseases. Adding sesame seeds and other small but high-impact foods (like flaxseed and turmeric) to your dishes is a simple, tasty way to put a little brain boost in every bite.

Sesame seeds can go bad if you have them too long! Make sure to use fresh ones for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ oz smoked wild salmon, cut into small strips
  • 1/3 cup fennel, thinly sliced
  • 5 whole strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed (can substitute pink peppercorns)

Salted Sesame Brittle

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 Tbsp salted butter
  • ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds
  • Flaky sea salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Combine salmon, fennel, and strawberries in a bowl.
  2. Add vinegar and oil and mix to combine. Season with crushed peppercorns and mix again.
  3. Move to plates or serving dish and garnish with fennel fronds and sesame brittle (recipe follows.)

Salted Sesame Brittle

  1. Prepare a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or greased parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium pot, bring sugar and honey to a boil, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and allow it to continue boiling undisturbed until it turns a medium gold color. (Watch very closely, as once the color starts changing it will darken quickly.)
  3. Remove pot from heat and stir in butter and sesame seeds. Pour onto prepared baking sheet.
  4. Put a second Silpat or greased parchment on top of hot mixture and use a rolling pin to roll it out as thinly as possible.
  5. Uncover, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and let it cool completely before breaking into shards.