Salmon En Croute
Salmon en croute is a thick piece of salmon spread with lemony spinach and soft cheese, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden. Ready-rolled pastry keeps the work simple, and most of it can be done ahead. The one thing to get right is moisture: dry the spinach and the fish well, and the base stays crisp rather than soggy. It serves four and looks like a proper dinner-party centrepiece.
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 645kcal
Seasoning salmon en croute and keeping the base crisp
The filling is simple: soft cheese for richness, lemon zest to cut through it and spinach and dill for colour and flavour. Season it firmly, because the pastry and the fish are mild. Cut the salmon from the thick end of the fillet, so it is an even shape and cooks at the same rate along its length, and feel for pin bones with your fingertips before you start.
Moisture is the enemy of crisp pastry. Squeeze every drop of water from the spinach and dry the fish. Chilling the finished parcel for 15 minutes before baking helps the pastry hold its shape and puff evenly.
Preparing salmon en croute
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Make the filling Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water until it wilts. Cool for a few minutes, then squeeze it dry in a clean tea towel and chop it. Mix the spinach with the soft cheese, lemon zest, dill, salt and plenty of pepper.
- Assemble the parcel Unroll the pastry on its paper and slide it onto a baking tray with the long side towards you. Pat the salmon very dry with kitchen paper, season it and lay it in the middle. Spread the filling over the top.
- Wrap Fold the long sides of the pastry over the salmon so they overlap slightly, brush the join with egg and press to seal. Tuck in the ends. Turn the parcel over so the seam is underneath, on a sheet of baking paper.
- Chill and glaze Chill for so the pastry firms up. Meanwhile heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas 6, with a baking tray inside. Brush the parcel with beaten egg and lightly score the top in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake Slide the parcel on its paper onto the hot tray and bake for , until deep golden and puffed. A meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish should read 55–60°C for moist salmon. Cover loosely with foil if the pastry browns too quickly.
- Rest and slice Leave to rest for , then slice with a serrated knife into four portions and serve.
Serving suggestions
Serve slices with new potatoes and steamed green beans, or a crisp green salad with a lemon dressing. For a plainer weeknight version of the same fish, try baked salmon, or use spinach in a different way in a salmon roulade with spinach.
Common problems and fixes for Salmon En Croute
- The pastry base is soggy.
- Moisture is the cause. Squeeze the spinach until it is dry, pat the salmon dry and bake on a preheated tray so the base starts crisping straight away.
- The filling leaks out of the parcel.
- The edges were not sealed or the parcel was overfilled. Brush the join with egg, press firmly and bake with the seam underneath.
- The pastry is brown but the salmon is not cooked.
- The oven is too hot or the fish was too cold. Take the salmon out of the fridge 20 minutes before wrapping, check the temperature and tent with foil if the top is already dark.
Frequently asked questions about Salmon En Croute
Can I make salmon en croute ahead?
Yes. Assemble the parcel up to 8 hours ahead, cover it loosely and keep it in the fridge on its tray. Add the egg wash just before baking and allow an extra 5 minutes in the oven. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days and reheat well at 180°C (160°C fan), gas 4, for 10–15 minutes.
How do I know it is cooked?
A meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the fish should read 55–60°C for moist salmon, and the pastry should be deep golden all over. If the fish is firmer than that, give it a few more minutes.
What can I use instead of soft cheese?
Mascarpone or crème fraîche also work. Both are slightly looser, so spread them thinly. A spoonful of wholegrain mustard or horseradish stirred into the cheese gives it more punch.
What goes well with it?
New potatoes, steamed green beans or tenderstem broccoli, and a lemony hollandaise or a green salad.
How did you like the recipe?
4.8 / 5 · 40 ratings
