Ingredients

  • 900 grams salmon fillet thick end, pin bone
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 110 grams bell pepper, red finely chop
  • 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 225 grams puff pastry
  • 1 egg white beaten
  • 1 egg beaten

Directions

1. If you want to serve more than 5 people, make a second en croûte. Store bought puff pastry works best because homemade puff gets too soft. Unless you make ahead so everything is well chilled.
2. Preheat oven to 230*C/450*F/GM 8.
3. Season salmon with pepper and zest. Chill in refrigerator until cold.
4. Take one-third of the pastry and roll it so it is little more than the length and breadth of the fillet. Place it on a damp baking sheet, prick all over with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden-brown. Do not bake faster, else all the layers do not get done.
5. Sauté red bell pepper in butter quickly until softened. Chill until cold. Spread the COLD peppers over the cooked pastry base. Place the COLD salmon on top and, with a sharp knife, cut away any cooked pastry that is not covered by the fillet.
6. Roll out the remaining pastry into a large enough blanket to cover the fillet easily. Lift up the sheet and lay it gently over the fillet. With a sharp knife, cut off the corners of the sheet and reserve these trimmings.
7. Lift one length of the blanket and brush the underside with beaten egg white. With a palette knife, lift the base and tuck the blanket neatly underneath it. Repeat with the other 3 sides.
8. Shape the pastry trimmings into fish. Slightly twist. Brush pastry covered fillet with beaten egg. Decorate with fish and brush again with beaten egg.
9. Can be prepared ahead to this point. Place on baking sheet, loosely covered in refrigerator.
10. Bake fillet in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until pastry is very dark brown and shiny.
11. Serve immediately.

Notes
Serving Ideas:Original serves 4.


Categories
Fish, main course
Keywords
Fish, main course
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