Salmon en Croute
The problem: an aunt and uncle are visiting Chicago for the first time and I have invited them over for dinner
The solution: impress them with a delicious dinner which has to be quick to prepare after a long day at work. Salmon to the rescue! To make it worthy of a family gathering, let's mix it with some puff pastry and herb butter to make a decadent salmon en croute.
Always give credit where it is due - so thank you Gordon Ramsay (whom I revere for his enthusiasm, technical skill and adorable accent) for forcing 8-12 year olds to cook this on MasterChef Junior. And hey, if a 11 year old and knock it out of the park, I've got a decent chance to make it passable.
Let's make it happen.
First start off by preparing a compound butter. Finely chop basil and dill and add it to softened butter. Add the zest of one lemon and juice from just half. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and combine.
Skin the salmon (if it wasn't already done by the nice employee at the seafood counter) and cut it in half so you have two equal length pieces.
Smear the herb butter on one fillet and top it with the second fillet in the opposite direction. If the thickest portions of each fillet go in opposite directions it ensures equal thickness along the entire piece of fish and thus equal cooking time.
Spread whole grain mustard on top. Roll out puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and place the fish in the middle. Fold into a little packet and trim excess dough. Seal edges with egg wash.
Place the parcel seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover with egg wash and make a fancy cross hatch pattern on the top with the back of a knife. Bake until golden brown, approx. 25 minutes. Rest briefly before cutting into 4 portions. Top with Hollandaise sauce.
Enjoy!
Published 11/17/10
The solution: impress them with a delicious dinner which has to be quick to prepare after a long day at work. Salmon to the rescue! To make it worthy of a family gathering, let's mix it with some puff pastry and herb butter to make a decadent salmon en croute.
Always give credit where it is due - so thank you Gordon Ramsay (whom I revere for his enthusiasm, technical skill and adorable accent) for forcing 8-12 year olds to cook this on MasterChef Junior. And hey, if a 11 year old and knock it out of the park, I've got a decent chance to make it passable.
Let's make it happen.
First start off by preparing a compound butter. Finely chop basil and dill and add it to softened butter. Add the zest of one lemon and juice from just half. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and combine.
Skin the salmon (if it wasn't already done by the nice employee at the seafood counter) and cut it in half so you have two equal length pieces.
Smear the herb butter on one fillet and top it with the second fillet in the opposite direction. If the thickest portions of each fillet go in opposite directions it ensures equal thickness along the entire piece of fish and thus equal cooking time.
Spread whole grain mustard on top. Roll out puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and place the fish in the middle. Fold into a little packet and trim excess dough. Seal edges with egg wash.
Place the parcel seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover with egg wash and make a fancy cross hatch pattern on the top with the back of a knife. Bake until golden brown, approx. 25 minutes. Rest briefly before cutting into 4 portions. Top with Hollandaise sauce.
Enjoy!
Salmon en Croute
Published 11/17/10
Ingredients
- 1 side of salmon (1-1.5 lbs), skinless
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Generous handful of basil leaves, chopped
- Small handful of dill leaves, chopped
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with splash of water
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix softened butter with lemon zest, basil, dill, salt and pepper.
- Cut salmon in half to form two equal-sized rectangular fillets. Pat dry with paper towel and lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread herb butter over one fillet and whole grain mustard over second fillet. Sandwich two fillets together in opposite directions. The fish should be of a roughly equal thickness throughout.
- Roll puff pastry into thin sheet and place salmon into the center. Brush edges with egg wash and fold into a pocket, sealing edges together and trimming and excess pastry.
- Place fish seam-side down onto greased baking sheet. Brush pastry with remaining egg wash and score a cross hatch pattern with the back of a knife.
- Preheat oven to 400 F and bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Rest salmon for 5 minutes.
- Cut into 4 portions and serve with Hollandaise sauce.
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