CTV Recipes
Search Recipes
Pistacho pesto salmon en croute
I know a lot of people love beef Wellington, but I’ve always found that the bottom pastry ends up soggy and flimsy because of the juiciness of the beef tenderloin. Salmon, on the other hand, is the perfect protein to prepare in this in-pastry style. Meaty salmon stays nice and moist, while the pastry crisps up to golden perfection.
SERVES
4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup loosely packed basil
- 1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup loosely packed arugula
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons shelled unsalted pistachios
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1-1/2 lb salmon fillet, pin bones and skin removed
- 1 egg
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, prepare the pesto by combining the basil, parsley, arugula, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pista-chios, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and oil. Pulse until everything is finely chopped, well mixed, and the texture of the pesto is spreadable. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Roll out the puff pastry so it is large enough to fold over the salmon fillet. If needed, you can trim some excess pastry off one side and puzzle the pastry together so it will enclose the fillet. Spread the pesto onto one side of the pastry to make a bed for the salmon, leaving a one-inch border around the edge. Place the fillet on top, and season with salt and pepper.In a small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the outside border around the salmon with this egg wash, then refrigerate the egg wash for later use. Fold the pastry over to cover the salmon, trim the edges, and pinch to seal. Transfer the wrapped salmon onto the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
- Position a rack at the bottom of your oven and preheat it to 425°F. Make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry with a small knife to allow steam to escape and brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg wash. Bake just until the puff pastry is golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the salmon en croute to rest for five to ten minutes before slicing with a sharp or serrated knife and serving.
Excerpted from Well Seasoned by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2021 Mary Berg. Photography ©2021 Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
