Salmon Chanted Evening
Dec. 23rd, 2024 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Salmon Wellington.
"Swaddled in buttery puff pastry, this is a stunner of a holiday centerpiece even a novice cook can nail."
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 oz baby spinach
2 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature (I used mascarpone)
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
1 tsp garlic powder (Ha! I used... more. Fresh garlic, minced, which I cooked with the onion.)
salt and pepper
13-14 oz puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 egg
Caramelize the onions: heat butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once butter melts and is sizzling hot, add onions and season with salt. Sauté, stirring every few minutes so that onions cook evenly. After about 5 minutes when onions are translucent, reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, for 12-15 minutes more. Transfer the caramelized onions to a dish and let cool completely.
Wipe out skillet. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add spinach, season with salt, and cook about 3 minutes until spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool, then drain spinach and transfer to a small bowl. Use a fork to combine spinach with cream cheese. Season with a dash of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside.
Sprinkle salmon with garlic powder and generous amounts of salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
Transfer puff pastry rectangle to a lightly-floured surface. If your dough is not large enough to completely envelop the entire salmon fillet, you will need to roll it with a rolling pin until it is. Place salmon, top-side down, in the center of the pastry and spoon creamy spinach on top. Arrange caramelized onions in an even layer on top of spinach. Fol the tops and sides of the dough over the fillet and pinch together at the seam. Flip the dough parcel over onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°.
In a small bowl, beat egg with 1 Tbsp water. Remove chilled salmon from refrigerator. Brush egg wash all over the top. Use a sharp knife to cut shallow criss-cross slants all over. Bake until the pastry puffs up and is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove and transfer the salmon to a cooling rack. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing with a bread knife to serve.
What worked: It was pretty. Reasonably easy - I did the onions and spinach well ahead of time so assembly and baking didn't take very long. It tasted good.
What didn't: Onions take at least 30 minutes to caramelize. Always. Stop lying to us, recipe writers.
It needed more oomph - lemon zest particularly comes to mind to brighten the flavors. Or maybe cooking the spinach with some lemon?
Will I make it again? Maybe.
"Swaddled in buttery puff pastry, this is a stunner of a holiday centerpiece even a novice cook can nail."
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 oz baby spinach
2 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature (I used mascarpone)
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
1 tsp garlic powder (Ha! I used... more. Fresh garlic, minced, which I cooked with the onion.)
salt and pepper
13-14 oz puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 egg
Caramelize the onions: heat butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once butter melts and is sizzling hot, add onions and season with salt. Sauté, stirring every few minutes so that onions cook evenly. After about 5 minutes when onions are translucent, reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, for 12-15 minutes more. Transfer the caramelized onions to a dish and let cool completely.
Wipe out skillet. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add spinach, season with salt, and cook about 3 minutes until spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool, then drain spinach and transfer to a small bowl. Use a fork to combine spinach with cream cheese. Season with a dash of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside.
Sprinkle salmon with garlic powder and generous amounts of salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
Transfer puff pastry rectangle to a lightly-floured surface. If your dough is not large enough to completely envelop the entire salmon fillet, you will need to roll it with a rolling pin until it is. Place salmon, top-side down, in the center of the pastry and spoon creamy spinach on top. Arrange caramelized onions in an even layer on top of spinach. Fol the tops and sides of the dough over the fillet and pinch together at the seam. Flip the dough parcel over onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°.
In a small bowl, beat egg with 1 Tbsp water. Remove chilled salmon from refrigerator. Brush egg wash all over the top. Use a sharp knife to cut shallow criss-cross slants all over. Bake until the pastry puffs up and is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove and transfer the salmon to a cooling rack. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing with a bread knife to serve.
What worked: It was pretty. Reasonably easy - I did the onions and spinach well ahead of time so assembly and baking didn't take very long. It tasted good.
What didn't: Onions take at least 30 minutes to caramelize. Always. Stop lying to us, recipe writers.
It needed more oomph - lemon zest particularly comes to mind to brighten the flavors. Or maybe cooking the spinach with some lemon?
Will I make it again? Maybe.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-30 01:07 am (UTC)