Salmon En Croute With Watercress Recipes

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.

SALMON EN CROUTE WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place watercress in a sieve, pour boiling water over to wilt it, and drain on paper towels. Combine wilted watercress with lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix cream cheese, garlic, dill, and parsley together in a separate bowl.
• Roll out 2 puff pastry sheets gently on a work surface until slightly larger than length of salmon fillets; cut sheets in half. Place 1/2 watercress mixture in center of each sheet. Spread 1/2 cream cheese mixture over watercress. Center salmon fillets on top of cream cheese mixture; squeeze lemon juice over each.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the egg. Fold top and bottom of pastry over the salmon; trim edges to remove excess pastry. Press pastry seams together with your fingers to seal. Transfer wrapped fillets, seam-side down, to baking sheet. Brush top with beaten egg.
• Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

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 & FENNEL EN CROUTE WITH WATERCRESS SAUCE

Steps:

• Fry the fennel and onion in the butter for 5 mins. Add the garlic, fry for 5 mins more until the veg is soft, then stir in the watercress.
• Cut the pastry into 4 pieces, then roll each piece to approx 22cm square. Spoon a quarter of the veg onto one half of each piece of pastry and spread to approx the shape of the salmon fillet. Put the fish on top, then brush round the pastry with egg, fold over and seal. Trim the pastry to make 4 parcels, then decorate with the trimmings.
• For the sauce, whizz all but 4 sprigs of watercress with the crème fraîche and seasoning. Heat until bubbling when ready to eat. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Brush the parcels with egg, then bake for 15 mins until golden. Serve parcels on a pool of sauce, garnished with the reserved watercress. Serve with new potatoes and green beans or salad.