salmon en croûte

Time to take your salmon en croûte to chef standard. Juicy salmon, cream cheese, and dill are encased in crispy puff pastry with a pickled cucumber side.

Prep: 30 mins
Cook:40 mins
Plus 1 hr chilling and overnight curing
More effort
Serves: 5

Ingredients

50g flaky sea salt
25g demerara sugar
2 x 500g skinless, boneless salmon fillets
75g watercress, chopped
200g cream cheese
2 tbsp fresh dill sprigs, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
pinch smoked salt (optional)
500g block all-butter puff pastry
flour, for dusting
2 eggs, yolks only, beaten
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, deseeded and sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
100ml cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

salmon en croûte Method

Step: 1 Day before you desire to gather the en croûte, and mix in a bowl the salt and sugar. Disperse half of the mix over a tray, and then lay one fillet of the salmon on top, skinned-side down, and disperse some more of the salt mix. Put the second fillet on top, skinned-side up, and dust over the rest of the salt mix. Cover, and put another tray on top. Weigh down the tray with a couple of tins and settle in the fridge for around 48 hrs or for a minimum of 12 hrs (the longer you put it in the fridge, the firmer the salmon will be).

Step: 2 When you’re all set to gather the en croûte, unwrap the salmon fillets, rinse them in cold water, dry them with kitchen paper, now put them aside. Place the watercress, cream cheese, dill, lemon zest and juice, smoked salt (optional), and a liberal pepper grinding into a bowl and mix well, then put aside.

Step: 3 Rule a baking dish with parchment. On a lightly floured surface roll out half of the pastry so it will be 2.5cm larger in diameter than the salmon fillet, now drape it over the ruled baking dish. Put one of the fillets on the pastry, skinned-side down, and layout with cream cheese mix, and then put the second fillet on top, skinned-side up. Brush the side of the pastry with some of the beaten yolk. Roll the rest of the pastry out to fit, now drape it over the salmon, and then tuck it in at the edges. Cut the sides and use a fork to crimp or press to seal. Brush with further beaten yolk, and place the en croûte in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using a spoon to create a scale-like result along the top of the pastry. Chill for around 24 hrs or a minimum of another 30 mins.

Step: 4 Warm oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for about 20 minutes, and glaze with the leftover yolk. Lessen the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake again for around 20 mins more, then take and let it stand for 10 mins.

Step: 5 For the pickle, put in a bowl cucumber and onion. Tip into a pan vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, spill over the veg, toss well, and put aside. (This can be made for around two days ahead and be kept in the fridge). Now slice the en croûte into six pieces and serve with the pickled veg beside.