Salmon en Croute

Salmon en Croute

Golden, flaky puff pastry wrapped around salmon, garlicky spinach, and cream cheese — this stunning Salmon en Croute is a showstopper for dinner parties, potlucks, or even just a special Wednesday night dinner with the family. It’s surprisingly simple, and always impressive.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 40–45 mins
Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

This elegant dish layers flaky pastry with a creamy spinach and dill filling, seasoned salmon, and a crisp, golden top. By rolling your puff pastry and drying the spinach properly, you’ll avoid soggy bottoms and create a bakery-style finish at home. Serve with salad, roasted veggies, or buttery potatoes for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 1 whole skinless salmon fillet (approx. 600g)

• 2 sheets puff pastry (or 1 block, rolled to size)

• 100g cream cheese

• 300g frozen spinach

• 1 tsp dried dill

• Zest of ½ lemon

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 egg (for egg wash)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prepare the spinach:
   Defrost the frozen spinach fully. Once thawed, squeeze out all excess moisture using a clean tea towel or your hands — it must be as dry as possible to prevent soggy pastry.

2. Sauté aromatics:
   Finely dice the garlic and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil over low heat for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Season with a little salt and set aside to cool.

3. Make the filling:
   In a bowl, mix the dried spinach, sautéed garlic, cream cheese, lemon zest, dried dill, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The filling should be thick and not watery.

4. Prepare the salmon:
   Remove any skin and pin bones from the salmon (watch my YouTube video if you need help). Then slice the fillet in half horizontally to create two even pieces.

5. Roll the pastry:
   If using a block of puff pastry, roll it out into two sheets large enough to wrap the salmon fully. If using pre-rolled, ensure they’re the right size. Chill the pastry while you work.

6. Layer the base:
   Lay one sheet of pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread a layer of the spinach mixture in the centre, roughly the size of your salmon fillet.

7. Assemble the layers:
   Place one salmon piece on top of the spinach, season with salt and pepper, then layer more spinach mix. Add the second piece of salmon and top with the remaining spinach.

8. Seal the pastry:
   Brush the edges of the base pastry with beaten egg. Carefully lay the second sheet of pastry on top, pressing it down to seal tightly around the salmon. Trim the edges neatly.

9. Decorate and chill:
   Use a fork to crimp the edges shut. Score the top with a knife for decoration (careful not to cut through). Brush with egg wash, chill for 5 minutes, then brush again for shine.

10. Bake:
    Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan). Bake for 35 minutes, then increase to 200°C and bake for a further 5–10 minutes until deep golden brown.

11. Serve:
    Rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favourite vegetables, a fresh salad, or buttery potatoes.

Chef’s Tip
Make sure your spinach mixture is dry and your pastry cold — this guarantees a crispy finish every time.

Enjoy

Del x