Salmon En Croûte with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Amarante

Wed, Jul 26 2017, 2:58 pm

Notes aren't mine but this is indeed a deceptively simple elegant presentation.

I haven't tried at taproom temperature but recipe indicates can be served at tom temperature which would make it a great dish for a nice Shsbbos lunch or even Friday dinner if you wanted to cook ahead especially in hot weather.

I used frozen chopped spinach. I thaw and then squeeze all water out using a cheesecloth or just my hands if I am in a rush. 😀

Salmon En Croûte with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Excerpt From: Nathan, Joan - The New American Cooking

When I was trying to think of an elegant but easy main course, a friend of mine, food consultant Ann Brody, passed along this recipe, which she developed to wow her clients at dinner parties. “It brought forth oohs and aahs,” she said. “A presentation piece like this, even though it’s no trouble, shows that you really care about your guests. And it is just plain fun and easy to make.”

Ann uses frozen puff pastry, available in supermarkets only since 1979. Before that, Pepperidge Farm had bought the patent for it from a European baker who came to work with them, offering at that time puff pastry to consumers only in their commercially produced strudel and apple turnovers.

In this savory dish, the fish and spinach steam in the pastry and the cheese melts, creating a wonderful combination of flavors in a crunchy, flaky crust.

YIELD: 10–12 SERVINGS

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator and still cold
1 salmon fillet (about 3 pounds), skinned and pin bones removed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10 ounces garlic-herb goat cheese, softened
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons water

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. On a floured surface, roll out 1 sheet puff pastry to a rectangle about 20 inches by 10 inches and transfer it to the cookie sheet.

2. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and lay it on top of the puff pastry, skin side down.

3. Using a spatula, spread the cheese over the top and sides of the salmon and cover it with the raw spinach. Beat the egg with the water and brush it on the pastry bordering the salmon.

4. Roll the second pastry sheet to another 20-by-10-inch rectangle and place it on top of the salmon. Gently press the dough around the salmon, pressing the edges to seal the pastry. Trim the pastry with a pastry wheel or sharp knife so that there is a ¾-inch border around the fish. Reserve the scraps. Brush the pastry with some egg wash. If you wish, cut the scraps decoratively and arrange on top. Brush again with the egg wash. Bake until golden on top, about 30 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature on a platter