Salmon Wellington or Salmon en Croute, a gourmet dish with a festive touch. Flaky golden puff pastry, salmon fillet cooked to perfection and a filling of spinach and cream cheese make this dish perfect for every party or celebration.
There is no secret that I love salmon, fresh, frozen, smoked, in any possible combination, and at any time of the day.
It's the least "fishy" out of all the other type of fish, at least according to my taste buds. And it makes a posh dinner for any special occasion, be it Christmas dinner, or a romantic Valentine's Day for two.
If a traditional Wellington recipe uses beef, this salmon variation works wonderfully well, and it can easily turn into the centrepiece of any dinner.
It might look complicated to make, but trust me, it's one of the easiest dishes I've ever made. And I (almost) always go for quick and easy recipes. Let's see how to make it!
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What is Salmon Wellington?
Fresh salmon can be pretty expensive, I give you that. But trust me, once you have a bite of this lovely baked salmon in puff pastry, you will know your money was worth spending. The Beef Wellington might be the classic dish, but this recipe is just amazing too.
So, what's exactly a salmon wellington or salmon en croute? It's actually a boneless, skinless salmon fillet topped with a cheesy spinach sauce, and wrapped into puff pastry, then baked until golden.
Ingredients needed
- salmon fillets
- ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- onion
- fresh spinach
- cream cheese - full-fat cream cheese is the best for this recipe
- lemon juice
- fresh dill
- salt and pepper - to taste
- egg - to brush
- butter
Step-by-step photos and instructions
The salmon wellington sauce can be as simple, or as fancy as you like. I opted for the simple version, nothing too complicated, but the flavours were deep, and gave the dish a wonderful touch.
- melt the butter in a pan, then add the onion and sautee until soft, then add the spinach and cook until it wilts
- take it off the heat, leave to cool slightly, then add the cream cheese, dill and lemon juice, and mix well
- arrange the ready-made puff pastry on you work surface, place the salmon fillet, and top with the spinach sauce
- wrap the puff pastry around it, then brush with beaten egg and use a sharp knife to make a few cuts into the pastry so the steam can espace during baking
Expert tips
This recipe is fail-proof, there is hardly any room for mistakes, but there are a few tips perhaps to ensure you get the perfect salmon en croute every single time.
- Make sure the sauce has cooled down before wrapping the salmon in the puff pastry, we want to avoid a soggy pastry.
2. it's crucial to brush a bit of egg wash around the edges of the puff pastry, so it can seal propery before baking, otherwise the sauce will leak during baking
Now, that's pretty much all you have to worry about. I have not tried to make it with phyllo pastry, although I suspect it's not a massive difference, just a pretty flaky texture.
Can I freeze it?
This dish can be safely frozen, just follow all the steps, but freeze it without baking. When you want to serve it, pop it in the oven from frozen, the baking time will be a bit longer, I suspect at least 10-15 minutes longer.
But the texture and taste should not change in the slightest. You can make it ahead, and bake it just before you guests arrive, in this way you have a lovely freshly baked salmon wellington whenever you need it.
What to serve with salmon Wellington
You can serve the salmon wellington as an appetizer, in which case it's ok on its own. But if you decide to serve it as a main meal, a nice salad on the side would be perfect. You can go for something as easy as a Simple Green Salad, or a nice Cucumber Tomato Avocado Feta Salad Recipe.
As for side dishes, I would go for some Last-Minute Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic, Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Sweet Potatoes or Easy Chickpea Tabbouleh Recipe.
Other salmon recipess
If you’ve tried my SALMON WELLINGTON or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Salmon Wellington
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- 1 onion
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 3 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
- Peel and chop the onion, melt the butter in a pan, then sautee the onion until soft.
- Add the spinach, and stir well, until it wilts, season well with salt and pepper, and take off the heat.
- Leave to cool, then add the chopped dill, cream cheese, and lemon juice and mix well.
- Beat the egg lightly, then arrange the salmon fillets on the puff pastry sheet, brushing the egg around the edges.
- Top the salmon with the spinach sauce, wrap the puff pastry around the salmon fillets, brush with more egg on top, then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.
- Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- Make sure the sauce has cooled down before wrapping the salmon in the puff pastry, we want to avoid a soggy pastry.
Andy
Are there any tips to getting this to table fast? I’m thinking of how to do it for a Café or restaurant?
Daniela Anderson
The dish only takes about 15 min in the oven, and the preparation can be done in half the time if you use frozen spinach that had been wilted beforehand. Just squeeze the excess water well, then mix with the cream cheese, dill and lemon juice and follow the other instructions.
Alternatively, get everything ready and freeze the wellington without baking it. Pop it in the oven before serving (if you want to make it ahead of time, it freezes well for months), it shouldn’t need more than 20 minutes in the oven.