Salmon en Croûte

Serve this French classic as the centre piece at special gatherings with family and friends – it could be ideal for a Christmas Eve supper.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

• Small knob of butter

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 100g baby leaf spinach

• 100g watercress

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

• Finely grated zest ½ lemon

• 2 x 500g sustainably sourced skinless salmon fillets

• 2 tsp grated hot horseradish from a jar or tube

• 3 tbsp crème fraîche

• 450g all-butter puff pastry

• Plain flour for dusting

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 large free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

Method

Warm the butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and stir until its fragrance fills the air. Toss in the spinach and watercress, stirring gently until the leaves just begin to wilt. Transfer the wilted greens to a sieve and press firmly with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop the greens, discarding any tough stems, and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the dill and lemon zest, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper and season generously. Lay them skinned-side down on a chopping board, running your finger along each to check for pin bones, and remove any you find with tweezers.

Mix the horseradish into the crème fraîche and spread evenly over one of the fillets. Layer the spinach mixture on top, then place the second fillet on top, skinned-side up (see tips).

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick, trimming it to a 27cm x 40cm rectangle or large enough to leave a generous border around the salmon. Place the pastry on a lined baking sheet and brush with Dijon mustard. Position the stacked salmon fillets on the top half of the pastry, leaving a 2-3cm border. Brush the edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over to encase the salmon. Trim the edges neatly and seal by crimping gently (see tips). Decorate with pastry trimmings if desired, then brush with more beaten egg. Chill for at least 20 minutes (see Make Ahead).

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Once chilled, create a few small slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden, and some juices seep through the slits. Let the salmon rest for a few minutes before slicing, or serve warm after cooling slightly.

Convenience tip!

Assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance and keep, covered with cling film, in the fridge. Bake from chilled. Freeze the unbaked salmon for up to 1 month. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra 30 minutes to the oven time. Cover with foil if the pastry turns too dark.

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/salmon-en-croute/