Salmon en croûte

Gordon Ramsay's salmon en croûte makes a great dinner party choice. It's got guaranteed wow factor, consists of easy-to-get simple ingredients and is utterly delicious. Perfect for a family dinner that will be surely requested time and time again, or to impress at a dinner party - this beautifully constructed dish uses only a handful of simple, mostly fresh ingredients and tastes just as expected every time. The delicate flakes of salmon against the satisfying crunch of the shortcrust pastry is the perfect combination of texture for a summer’s day.

INGREDIENTS 

1 side of salmon, about 900g, skinned

A little olive oil

60 g unsalted butter, softened

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Generous handful of basil leaves

Small handful of dill leaves

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. wholegrain mustard (optional)

500 g shortcrust pastry

Plain flour, to dust

1 egg yolk, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Check the salmon for pin bones, removing any that you find with tweezers, then cut in half. Line a baking tray with a lightly oiled piece of foil.

2. Mix the softened butter with the lemon zest, basil, dill and some salt and pepper in a bowl, to make the filling.

3. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the herb butter on each side. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so both ends are of an even thickness.

4. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, the thickness of a £1 coin and large enough to enclose the salmon. Put the salmon parcel in the centre of the pastry and brush the surrounding pastry with egg. Bring up the edges, trimming off any excess, and tuck them in before folding the rest of the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray.

5. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

6. Bake the salmon for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. To test if ready, insert a skewer into the middle. It should feel warm for medium cooked salmon. A piping hot skewer indicates that the fish is well done.

7. Rest the salmon for 5 minutes, then cut into portions using a serrated knife. Serve with any vegetables you like.

Recipe adapted from https://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/a500161/salmon-en-croute/