salmon en croute;
Salmon en croute is one of those recipes I pull out when I want to impress–without stressing over the result. It’s delicious with a flaky pastry outside and tender delicious salmon on the inside with enough buttery flavor to shine without overpowering the fish itself.
I originally saw this recipe on Master Chef Junior, and hey, if the children can do it, you can do it! It’s easy but looks so elegant and is honestly delicious. So the original recipe came from Admin on Red here, and it turned out fantastic.
“En croute” essentially means “wrapped in puff pastry” in French. My other favorite “en croute” is Brie en croute (i.e. cheese wrapped in puff pastry) so when I saw this salmon en croute I knew I had to try it!
In essence you whip together a Dijon herb butter and sandwich it between two salmon filets. Then wrap everything in flaky pastry crust and bake it off. The hardest part it remembering to thaw the pastry crust. I purchase store bought frozen pastry dough and then it’ll need to thaw before using. I usually leave mine out for 1+ hours or even overnight in a ziplock bag. I’ve had them keep in an airtight bag for up to 3 days. More is probably fine too, but you’ll want that airtight container to keep it from drying out.
The hardest part is remembering to thaw the pastry crust! Seal in an airtight container or bag unless you plan to use it in the same day.
secret to success
Salmon filets are notoriously uneven, where a single filet can be an inch or even two wide at the thickest and then taper off to barely nothing at the end. One way we counteract that variability is to layer the salmon. Cutting the filet or using two similarly sized pieces, you can stack them together like a yin-yang or puzzle. Match the thin side of one filet to the thick side of the other, and while it might not be perfect, it will help keep the salmon moist and even in baking when draped in pastry.
To help the salmon cook evenly, match up the salmon filets like a yin yang to make a relatively even log before wrapping in pastry.
secret to success
Because salmon en croute is enrobed in pastry, you may want to consider a probe thermometer. This makes it easy to check if the salmon is done without cutting into the fish before it’s ready. Can you cut it? Sure, I can’t stop you, but it’s not advised. It will mess with the bake on the salmon en croute, and may make parts of the fish dry or let the butter leak out which helps impart flavor and cook the salmon while keeping it moist.
For salmon, a temperature of 145°F is recommended for food safety. However, if you’re comfortable, I recommend removing the salmon from the oven around 135-140°F and then allowing the residual heat to amp it up to the perfect 145°F. Make sure when you measure temperature you take temperature from the center of the thickest part.
A temperature of 145°F is recommended for food safety. Test where the salmon is thickest. For the tenderest fish take it out at 135-140°F and allow the residual temperature to climb to 145°F.
secret to success
Salmon en croute is delectable straight from the oven, but be warned: It’s a pocket of steaming HOT hotness when first removed from the oven! Not to mention it has got boiling hot baked butter in the center. If you’ve ever had a hot pocket, be warned. The insides are molten and take longer to cool than you think. I usually allow it to cool some all together, then cut the salmon en croute in the middle to help it cool faster for serving. You don’t want to cut it too early though and risk all the delicious butter seeping out.
I found that a single sheet of puff pastry worked well on a .75-1lb filet, with little rolling. If you’re concerned about dough coverage, do roll the pastry out a little to gain some extra length and width. Don’t roll it too thin though, you want it to hold together the salmon in a beautiful little pocket. Make sure to use egg wash to seal the sides and brush it on top to get a beautiful brown color in the oven.
If you have any extra dough, feel free to trim, just make sure there’s enough to pinch the seams and make sure it doesn’t leak. If you have extra trimmings, rectangles or any shape, try making these quick and easy cinnamon puff sticks. They’re a super easy and delicious way to repurpose scraps and not let anything go to waste! Honestly I usually just eat them myself as a little cooking snack, but you can save them to share with others or serve them with ice cream. Yum!
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other dinner meals to impress?
- This quick and easy blue cheese steak sauce is perfect for a simple meal that feels decadent!
- Easy hot honey chicken is another quick and delicious meal, perfect to whip up on hectic weeknights.
- For a great side dish to salmon en croute, whip up some parmesan zucchini.
salmon en croute;
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon filet skinned
- olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (from approx. 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup basil leaves (generous handful)
- 1 Tbsp small handful of dill leaves (small handful)
- salt & pepper
- 1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 15 oz puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk beaten
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
- Remove skin and any bones from salmon, as necessary. Slice the salmon in half, doing your best to keep both halves symmetrical and even. This will help them layer with even thickness when the herbs are sandwiched between.
- In a small bowl, add 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Then add lemon zest, finely chopped basil and dill, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Mix the herb butter together until combined.
- Pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread mustard across one filet, and the herb butter over the other.
- Sandwich two filets together, in opposite directions, so the resulting fish is of even thickness.
- Roll out pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface, until ¼” thick. Place the salmon into the center, and wrap, making sure to encase the salmon fully. You may use the egg wash as a little extra "glue" to close up the seams.
- Lightly score the pastry. I usually do 3 diagonal cuts across the top, making sure to break through the pastry to allow steam to vent.
- Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Loosely cover and chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature is 145°F. Typically I remove from the oven at 140°F and allow residual temperature to bring it up to temp.
