The low-fat cook: healthy choices for the active lifestyle

Sunset, Dec, 1997 by Zillah Bahar

For Hanukkah, serve a light and easy appetizer

* The Old World penchant for pickling to preserve fish, meat, and vegetables carried over into traditional Jewish homes on the East Coast. One staple was pickled salmon in a heavily salted marinade.

But in the West, this Jewish preparation takes a more healthful turn. Pickling is for flavor, not preservation, and salt is used sparingly. An assertive blend of spices, not salt, brings out this salmon's rich, mellow flavor.

Pickled Salmon

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours to marinate and 3 hours to chill

Notes: Serve with toasted rye bread or pocket bread, shredded cucumber, and reduced-fat sour cream.

Makes: 4 appetizer servings

1/2 cup kosher white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

10 dried hot chilies (each about 2 in. long)

4 cardamom pods, hulled

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1/2 pound boned, skinned salmon, 1 inch thick, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 1/2 cups very thin white onion slices

1/2 cups very thin red onion slices

1. In a bowl, combine vinegar, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, sugar, dried chilies, cardamom, garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, fennel, and coriander.

2. Add the salmon and mix. Cover and chill at least 2 or up to 5 hours.

3. Place white and red onions in a nonstick 10- to 12-inch frying pan. Drain marinade from fish into pan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Lay salmon on onions. Cover; simmer until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center (cut to test), about 1 minute. Transfer fish and onion mixture to a jar or bowl. Let cool, then cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Per serving: 171 cal., 25% (43 cal.) from fat; 14 g protein; 4.8 g fat (0.7 g sat.); 20 g carbo (2.9 g fiber); 40 mg sodium; 31 mg chol.