Salmon Wellington or Salmon en Croute, a gourmet dish with a festive touch. Flaky golden puff pastry, salmon fillet cooked to perfection, a filling of spinach, cream cheese and caramelized onions and a handful of samphire make this dish perfect for every party or celebration. Easy, delicious, a big hit with the whole family.
If you are looking for a gourmet alternative to the good old roast for your Christmas dinner, or you simply enjoy a pescatarian lifestyle, this salmon wellington is an excellent choice for the festive menu.
It's incredibly delicious and flavourful and very easy to make, but it looks so fancy, that everyone will think you have slaved over it for hours. It really is a great dish for special occasions.
There is no secret that I love salmon, fresh, frozen, smoked, in any possible combination, and at any time of the day. And if a traditional Wellington recipe uses beef, this salmon variation works wonderfully well, and it can easily turn into the centrepiece of any dinner.
What gives this dish the wow factor is the addition of samphire, which is a sea vegetable with a vibrant green colour and a salty taste. It's absolutely delicious and if you can find any, I highly recommend using it.
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What is Salmon Wellington?
Salmon Wellington is a boneless, skinless salmon fillet topped with a cheesy spinach sauce, and wrapped into puff pastry, then baked until golden.
Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
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Ingredients used
- salmon fillets - If you use frozen salmon, you need to make sure it's thawed before using it for this recipe
- ready-rolled puff pastry sheet - honestly, that's the best option here, no need to worry about rolling it or anything else
- onion - any kind would do
- spinach - I used frozen spinach, but fresh works too
- cream cheese - full-fat cream cheese is the best for this recipe
- lemon juice - for a zesty kick
- fresh dill - for added freshness
- salt and pepper - to taste
- egg - to brush
- butter - to fry the onion
- samphire - as discussed, it can be optional, but worth it if you can find any
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 with a pinch of salt, and fry it until golden
- add the frozen spinach to a pan with hot water, and simmer it for a few minutes to cook - drain the water, and make sure you squeeze out as much liquid as you can
- to the fried onion add the cream cheese, cooked spinach, dill and lemon juice, and mix well
- arrange the ready-made puff pastry on you work surface and place the salmon fillets on one side of the pastry
- season the salmon with salt and pepper
- pop the fillets with the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle the samphire over the cream
- 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
- bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until golden
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 Tomato Cucumber Salad.
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 Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad.
Other salmon recipess
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Salmon Wellington
Ingredients
- 4 slim salmon fillets
- 1 ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- 1 onion
- 3 cubs frozen spinach
- 3 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 30 g butter ( 2 tbsp)
- 1 cup samphire ( optional)
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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 with a pinch of salt until golden.
- Add the frozen spinach to a small pan of boiled water, and leave it to simmer for a few minutes to thaw.
- Drain the water, and squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach.
- Leave to cool, then add the chopped dill, cream cheese, lemon juice and cooked onion, and mix well.
- Beat the egg lightly, then arrange the salmon fillets on one side of the puff pastry sheet and season with salt and pepper.
- Top the salmon fillets with the spinach sauce then scatter the samphire over.
- Wrap the puff pastry around the salmon fillets, brush with the beaten egg on top, and use a fork or knife to pick the pastry in a few places.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Serve hot or cold.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the sauce has cooled down before wrapping the salmon in the puff pastry, we want to avoid a soggy pastry.
Cathy Covey says
Can phyllo pastry be used instead of the puff pastry?
Daniela Apostol says
It should work fine with phyllo pastry too.
Andy says
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 says
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.