Salmon Wellington with pâté and creamed spinach

We're bringing the star Christmas recipe, beef Wellington, but in a different and most exquisite fish version: stuffed and filo-wrapped salmon Wellington is a recipe as delicious as it is elegant. You may have heard of this recipe as "Salmon en croûte" (salmon with a crust), a salmon wrapped in filo pastry or puff pastry.

What we've prepared is basically a salmon version of the classic beef Wellington. For those who don't know it, beef Wellington (known as Beef Wellington or Boeuf Wellington) is a classic English dish, made by spreading pâté on the beef tenderloin, wrapping it in ham and finally enclosing it in puff pastry, which after baking turns golden and makes for a very attractive presentation, combining the crispness of the pastry with the tender texture of the meat.

In our salmon en croûte version, the filling will be made with salmon pâté, crab and watercress, we'll wrap it in filo pastry (you can also wrap it in puff pastry if you prefer) and we'll serve it on a bed of creamed spinach that suits it perfectly, both for presentation and for the flavor combination.

I hope you enjoy this recipe this Christmas. It's elegant, sophisticated and truly delicious. I must tell you that making it takes time, but it's not complicated.

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets of 500 gr each (similar shape and size, and skinless)
• 50 g of crab meat
• 30 g of crème fraîche (if unavailable, use cooking cream)
• 30 g of watercress
• 5 g of fresh dill
• 30 g of cream cheese (type Philadelphia)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• ½ lemon, juiced and zested
• 6 sheets of filo pastry*
• 1 egg lightly beaten

For the creamed spinach

• 400 g of fresh spinach
• 30 g of butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 400 ml of milk
• 30 g of wheat flour
• 1 tsp of nutmeg

Preparation

Preparing the salmon Wellington

1. Place the two salmon fillets one on top of the other, and trim the excess so both are the same size. Keep the trimmings, they will be useful for making the pâté.
2. Season the fillets with salt and a little pepper to taste.
3. Let's prepare the pâté. To do this, put the pâté ingredients in a food processor: add the reserved salmon trimmings (about 50-80 g), together with the crab meat, the crème fraîche (or cooking cream), the watercress, the dill, the cream cheese, the zest and juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn on the processor and blend until you obtain a smooth paste.
4. Using a spoon or a spreading knife, spread the pâté over one of the salmon fillets (leave an even layer along the entire fillet). Once the layer is applied, place the second fillet on top. This will create the salmon filling.
5. Grease the Le Creuset baking tray, with butter and lay a sheet of filo pastry on it (apply it flat but without pressing it down, it's fine if it sticks out over the edges). Brush with a little beaten egg and place a second sheet on top. Brush again with egg, and add a third sheet*.
6. Fold a fourth sheet in half, and place it on top of the previous sheets, covering the central area. This will give a bit more thickness of filo where you will place the salmon (and where more juices will collect... this way the parcel will hold up better, have a thicker base and the pastry won't break so easily).
7. Place the salmon fillets in the center of the prepared filo sheets, and wrap all the salmon with the sheets, closing them like a package. Bring the ends to the top, and crinkle the excess pastry so it forms a nice shape, like a decorative "package".
8. Brush the entire filo pastry with beaten egg (except the bottom).
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 ºC, until golden.

Preparing the creamed spinach

1. While the salmon Wellington is baking, prepare the creamed spinach. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter and add the diced onion. Sauté over low/medium heat until the onion begins to soften, then add the crushed garlic and brown for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the flour, and cook it for a couple of minutes so it loses the raw taste. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until you obtain a glossy textured sauce.
3. Once all the milk has been added, sprinkle in the nutmeg, stir, and simmer to reduce until you obtain a thicker, creamier sauce.
4. Add the spinach, reduce to low heat and stir slowly until the spinach has wilted and turned completely pale.

Plating

When the salmon Wellington is done, remove the tray from the oven and let it rest for about five minutes. Add the creamed spinach to the tray, around the salmon parcel (pour a little milk over the parcel as decoration), and serve the tray directly at the table.

Notes

• *If using puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, once the salmon is wrapped, make a few holes on the top with a fork so the interior steam has an outlet, otherwise the steam will find its way out on its own (which may create an unattractive hole or one in an unintended spot).
• You can prepare the salmon en croûte in advance (especially brushed with egg and well covered so the pastry doesn't dry out), and bake it when it's time to cook. If you do this, take it out of the fridge 10 minutes before baking so it comes closer to room temperature.
• When cutting, make short thick slices to present them nicely and generously, and to achieve a clean cut of the interior.
• You can make individual versions of this dish. Just use pieces of fillet cut (about the width of four fingers), and wrap them forming individual puff pastry or filo purses.