Salmon En Croute Recipe 455

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone cheese, dill and zest and juice of the lemon to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside one-third of the filling and reserve for the sauce
• Pat a salmon filet with a paper towel to slightly dry. Place the filet at one end of a strip of phyllo, leaving a 3- to 4-inch overhang, and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the remaining mascapone mixture over the filet then cover with an even, flat layer of the half the spinach leaves. Wrap the phyllo overhang over the filet and roll the salmon up in the dough, brushing the phyllo with butter as you roll. Tuck any excess phyllo under. Prepare the second piece of salmon the same way and place on one of the prepared baking sheets.
• Fold the last piece of phyllo 4 times to a quarter of its original size (an approximate 12-by-9-inch rectangle). Brush with butter and, using a 2-inch heart cutter, cut 6 hearts from the phyllo. Place on the other prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until the hearts are golden, 5 to 10 minutes, and the phyllo around the salmon is crisp, flaky and golden, about 20 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together the reserved mascarpone mixture, the cream, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Warm (do not boil) over medium heat. Serve the salmon packets with a drizzle of cream sauce and top each with 3 hearts. Serve extra sauce on the side.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, oil and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and using a wooden spoon or a Danish whisk, stir the mixture until a shaggy dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until the dough is a bit smoother. Then "slap" the dough and turn it over and knead it until smooth; this could take between 5 to 10 minutes. You can also mix the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. This takes about 10 minutes. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest a room temperature for 2 hours.
• Cover a table (at least 36 inches square) with a clean tablecloth. Sprinkle the cloth all over with flour. Gently press the dough into a rough 12-by-12-inch square and then gently pull the dough into a large square, about 36 inches. Use a pair of clean kitchen scissors to cut the thicker edges off the perimeter and discard them. Allow the dough to rest to dry out just a bit, about 5 minutes.
• Adapted from "Pie it Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes and Other Pastries Reinvented" by Gesine Bullock-Prado © Abrams 2012. Provided courtesy of Gesine Bullock-Prado. All rights reserved.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon garlic; cook and stir until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer onion and mushroom mixture to a small bowl.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add remaining 1 teaspoon garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach; cook and stir until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to another bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper.
• Dust work surface with flour. Lay 1 puff pastry sheet out on work surface. Spread onion and mushroom mixture evenly across pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Center salmon on top. Sprinkle paprika over salmon and top with wilted spinach. Cover with second puff pastry sheet. Fold over and crimp edges to seal. Brush top with beaten egg. Transfer to baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice into 4 portions.
• Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and dill together in a small bowl. Spoon sauce onto 4 plates and place a piece of salmon on each.

NEXT LEVEL SALMON EN CROûTE

Steps:

• The day before you want to assemble the en croûte, mix the salt and sugar in a bowl. Scatter half of the mix over a tray, then lay one of the salmon fillets on top, skinned-side down, and scatter with more of the salt mix. Lay the second fillet on top, skinned-side up, and sprinkle over the rest of the salt mix. Cover, then place another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins and put in the fridge for up to 48 hrs, or for at least 12 hrs (the longer you leave it, the firmer the salmon will be).
• When you're ready to assemble the en croûte, unwrap the salmon fillets, rinse them in cold water and dry with kitchen paper, then set aside. Put the watercress, cream cheese, dill, lemon zest and juice, smoked salt (if using) and a generous grinding of pepper into a bowl and mix well, then set aside.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Roll out half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface so it's 2.5cm larger in diameter than the salmon fillet, then drape it over the lined baking tray. Place one of the fillets on the pastry, skinned-side down, and spread with the cream cheese mix, then lay the second fillet on top, skinned-side up. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the beaten yolk. Roll out the rest of the pastry to fit, then drape it over the salmon and tuck it in at the sides. Trim the edges and crimp or press with a fork to seal. Brush with more beaten yolk, then put the en croûte in the fridge for 30 mins before using a spoon to create a scale-like effect along the top of the pastry. Chill for up to 24 hrs or for at least another 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for 20 mins, then glaze with the remaining yolk. Lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 20 mins more, then remove and leave to stand for 10 mins.
• To make the pickle, put the cucumber and onion in a bowl. Tip the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt into a pan and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour over the veg, toss well and set aside. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge. Slice the en croûte into six portions and serve with the pickled veg on the side.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Skin and bone the salmon and set aside. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C.
• Cut the tips off the asparagus. Reserve the stems and poach the tips in boiling salted water until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well, refresh in ice cold water, then drain again, leaving to sit so that all the water comes off. Puree the asparagus and stir in the creme fraiche, dill and lemon zest to blend. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a damp baking sheet with the long edge facing you. Lay the salmon on the pastry, like a picture in its frame. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the top of the salmon with the asparagus puree. Lay the raw stems of asparagus on top of the puree, like pencils.
• Brush the margins of the pastry with the egg wash. Lay the second sheet of pastry over the salmon and press the edges to seal, like a giant ravioli. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch/2.5 cm border. Press with the tines of a fork, then, with the dull edge of a knife, scallop the edges. Make 2 or 3 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush all over with the egg wash and bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. This dish is also good at room temperature.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Cut the fillet into 2 equal portions (make sure it's skinned and deboned). Mix the cheese, butter and lemon juice together, then spread over one fillet. Place the other fillet on top so the cheese mix is sandwiched between them.
• Roll out the pastry to about a quarter inch thickness, making sure it's big enough to wrap the fillets with some overlap. Separate all the chicory leaves and lay a single layer on the pastry where the salmon will go. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay the salmon on the chicory. Cover the fillets with the rest of the chicory leaves and the wrap with the pastry.
• Glaze the pastry with egg wash and bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Centigrade.
• Serve with new potatoes, brocolli and Hollandaise sauce.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200˚C/fan oven 180˚C.
• Put the salmon fillets on a board and spoon a quarter of the cheese mixture on to the middle of the top of each fillet.
• Cut the pastry sheet into 4 and place salmon piece on to each piece.
• Wrap each rectangle around the middle of each salmon fillet and over the dollop of soft cheese, like a belt.
• Transfer to a non stick baking tray and spray with
• the cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the salmon is cooked.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: SALMON EN CROûTE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Tip in the shallots and fry for 2-3 mins to soften, then add the mushrooms and garlic, and stir-fry over a high heat for another 3-4 mins, or until the mushrooms and shallots are golden and any liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Pour in the lemon juice - after a few seconds, that should have evaporated too. Remove from the heat, then stir in the watercress so it wilts in the warmth from the pan (see step 1). Stir in the dill and chives, and season with a little salt and pepper. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. When the mushroom mix is cool, stir in the crème fraîche. Lay one of the filo sheets on the worktop with the short end facing you. Brush all over with a little of the remaining oil. Layer up 4 more of the filo sheets in the same way, brushing each with a little of the oil.
• Lay one of the salmon fillets, skin-side up, across the width of the filo, positioning it about one-third of the way up. Season it with pepper. Spoon and spread the cooled mushroom mix over the top of the fillet (see step 2). Lay the other salmon fillet on top, skin-side down. Season again. Fold the short end of pastry nearest to you over the salmon, then bring the other end over to completely enclose the salmon (see step 3), lifting it so the join can tuck under it. Fold both pastry ends over as neatly as you can.
• Brush the outside with a bit more of the remaining oil. Scrunch up the last sheet of filo, pressing it lightly on top in big folds (see step 4), then carefully brush with the last of the oil. Can be prepared 3-4 hrs ahead up to this point and chilled. Transfer the salmon parcel to the baking sheet. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Check while it cooks and if the top starts to brown too quickly, lay a sheet of foil very loosely over it. Remove from the oven and let the salmon sit for 2-3 mins before slicing.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• First make the sauce, put the oil in the pan and heat up. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic. Chop up the dill and add or snip into the onions with some scissors. Add the cream and stiring all the time, bring up to a simmer. Let it thicken a bit and then pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Wait at least for 30 minutes, don't putin the fridge.
• preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan/gas mark 5. Take the pastry out of the fridge 10 minutes before you use it. Place on to a floured surface roll so it is just a bit thinner. When you buy it, it is too thick. Arrange your salmon on to the middle of thepastry, putting them one after the other to make a long line of salmon. Spoon your cooled, thicken sauce on top and spread with a knife. Lift the ends of the pastry and put them together in the middle. Or bring them together in the middle seal together then roll up, creating a roll of pastry on top.
• Seal the end of the pastry and brush with the beaten egg. Put into the oven for 45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Eat and enjoy with mashed or boiled new potatoes and vegetables.