Wellington salmon with pate and spinach cream

We bring you the star recipe of Christmas, the Wellington sirloin, but in a different and most exquisite version of fish: Wellington-style salmon stuffed and wrapped in filo pastry is a recipe as delicious as it is elegant. You may have heard of this recipe as " Salmon en crôute " (crusted salmon), a salmon wrapped in phyllo dough or puff pastry.

What we have prepared is basically a salmon version of the classic Sirloin Wellington. For those who don't know it, Sirloin Wellington ( known as Beef Wellington or Boeuf Wellington) is a classic recipe of English gastronomy, which is prepared by spreading the sirloin meat with pate, wrapped in ham and as a final sear wrapped in dough. puff pastry, which after baking is golden and a most beautiful presentation, since it combines the crunchy puff pastry with the tender texture of the meat.

In our version of salmon en crôute, we will make the filling with salmon pate, crab and watercress, we will wrap it with filo pastry (you can also wrap it in puff pastry if you prefer) and we will accompany it with a base of creamed spinach that It feels luxurious, both in the presentation and in the combination of flavors.

I hope you enjoy this recipe this Christmas. It is elegant, sophisticated and a real delight. I must tell you that doing it takes time, but it is not complicated.

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets of 500 gr each (of similar shape and size, and without skin)
• 50g crab meat
• 30 g of crème fraîche (failing that, use cooking cream)
• 30 g of watercress
• 5 g fresh dill
• 30 g cream cheese (Philadelphia type)
• Salt
• ground black pepper
• ½ lemon, squeezed and grated
• 6 sheets of phyllo dough*
• 1 egg lightly beaten

For the spinach cream

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

Preparation

We prepare the Wellington salmon

1. Place the two salmon fillets one on top of the other, and trim the excess parts to ensure that they are both the same size. Save the cuts, they will serve you in the preparation of the pâté.
2. Apply salt and a little pepper to the loins, seasoning to your liking.
3. Let's prepare the pate. To do this, put the ingredients for the pâté in a kitchen processor: put the reserved salmon remains (about 50-80 g), together with the crab meat, the crème fraîche (or liquid cream), the watercress, the dill , cream cheese, zest and juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn on the processor to grind until you get a smooth paste.
4. With the help of a spoon or butter knife, spread the pâté over one of the salmon fillets (leave an even layer along the entire length of the fillet). When you have the layer done, arrange the second loin on top. You will have arranged like this, the salmon filling.
5. Butter the Le Creuset baking tray, and arrange a sheet of filo pastry on it (apply it flat but without crushing it, nothing happens if it sticks out over the edges). Paint with a little beaten egg and place a second sheet on top. Paint 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. It will help you to have a little more thickness of phyllo dough where you will place the salmon (and where more juices will go... so the package will hold up better, it will have a thicker base and the dough will not break as easily).
7. Place the salmon fillets in the center of the phyllo sheets you have prepared, and wrap the sheets around the salmon, closing them like a package. Bring the ends to the top, and crumple up the excess dough to make a nice shape, as a "package" decoration.
8. Brush the entire phyllo dough with beaten egg (except the bottom).
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, at 180ºC, until golden.

Prepare the cream of spinach

1. While the Wellington salmon is cooking, prepare the creamed spinach. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter and add the small chopped onion. Sauté over low/medium heat until the onion begins to soften and 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 that it loses its raw flavor. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until you obtain a sauce with a glossy texture.
3. Once you have added all the milk, sprinkle the nutmeg and stir, and leave on the heat to reduce until you obtain a thicker and creamier sauce.
4. Add the spinach, reduce heat to low, and stir slowly until the spinach is completely reduced and white.

Presentation of the dish

When the salmon Wellington is done, remove the tray from the oven and let it rest for about five minutes. Add the cream of spinach to the tray, around the salmon package (pour a little milk on top of the package, for decoration), and serve the tray directly at the table.

Grades

• *In case of using puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, once the salmon is wrapped, apply some holes in the upper part with a fork so that the internal steam has an outlet, or the steam itself will make its way on its own (being able to make a hole in an unsightly way or where you don't want it to look holed).
• You can leave the salmon en croûte prepared in advance (especially brushed with egg and well covered so that the dough does not dry out), and take it to the oven when it is time to cook it. If you do so, take it out of the fridge 10 minutes before putting it in the oven to warm up.
• When cutting it, make thick short ones to present them nicely and generously, and to show a clean cut inside.
• You can make individual versions of this dish . You should only use pieces of cut loins (about 4 fingers thick), and wrap them to form individual puff pastry or filo pastry purses.