Salmon Wellington

Recipe Title:  Salmon Wellington with light Yogurt Hollandaise (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

The best Pastry ever!!!  (see recipe below)

1 salmon fillet – divided into 4 portions (or buy the IQF[i]frozen wild salmon already in four portions)

1 brick of cream cheese – room temperature
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
½ cup onion – diced small
¼ cup leeks – diced small (click here to view my video on how to clean leeks)
¼ cup celery – diced small
3 tbsp. fresh dill – chopped
3 tbsp. chives – diced
½ tsp salt and cracked pepper
1 egg + 1 tbsp. water for egg wash

Make pastry and chill for a minimum of one hour.

Remove skin from salmon fillet. Cut fillet so that each piece is approximately the size of a deck of cards.

Meanwhile prepare leeks, onions and celery for sauteing . Dice them into brunoise size  (very tiny diced).  Sauté leeks, onions & celery in olive oil and butter over medium heat until onions are just transparent. Remove form heat and cool slightly.

In a bowl combine leek/onion mixture, softened (room temp.) cream cheese, chives, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Roll out 4 rectangles (approximately 6 in. by 8 in.) of pastry.

Into the center of each pastry rectangle spoon 1 large tablespoon of the cream cheese filling.

Place one piece salmon (presentation side down[ii]) on top of cream cheese.

Fold pastry up to seal the pastry ends for baking. This part if up to you. A Wellington can be sealed and folded like a pita pocket or a cornish pastie, or simply made into a rectangle as you see above.

Place the finished Salmon Wellington on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F degrees (204C)  and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Serve hot.

Option: Drizzle with a warm yogurt hollandaise sauce (see recipe below) over the hot Salmon Wellington.

Maggie’s Yogurt Hollandaise

1 tub (500g) Greek style yogurt
6 Egg yolks
½  cup butter
¼ tsp. Dry mustard powder
Dash cayenne
Salt & pepper
1 tsp. fresh dill – diced small
In a double boiler combine yogurt and egg yolks. Whisk until combined while cooking over medium heat.
Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook until thickened. Do Not Boil or it will separate.
Remove from heat and serve hot over baked salmon wellington.

PASTRY

Full recipe                                                                   Half Recipe

5 cups all-purpose flour                                             2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. salt                                                                   1 tsp. salt
1 egg                                                                           1 egg
1 lb. shortening                                                           ½ lb. shortening
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar                2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 cup ice water                                                           ½ cup ice water
1 tbsp. brown sugar                                                    1 tsp. brown sugar

1.     Mix together flour, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.

2.    Cut up shortening into small cubes, return to cooler to keep cold.

3.    Add vinegar and egg to liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork.

4.    Add enough ice cold water to egg/vinegar mixture to make a total of 1 cup of liquid.

5.    Place measured dry ingredients in a large bowl if mixing by hand.

6.    Add shortening and with a knife or a pastry blender start cutting the shortening in to the flour until all the shortening is dime size and mealy.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ If using a stand mixer in pastry making do not multi task. Stay at the mixer and pulse the machine on and off until the flour and shortening are slightly mixed but not totally combined. There should still be big size chunks of shortening (mealy) showing and plenty of loose flour. Do not try to incorporate every bit of flour as you may end up over working the pastry and it will be tough and not flaky.

7.     Add liquid to mixing bowl and with a fork mix liquid in. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. Gently form into a ball with your hand.

8.    Roll dough up into a disc and wrap in parchment paper and then in a clean plastic bag and store in cooler until needed.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies freeze the remaining pastry for use later.

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[i] IQF individually quick frozen

[ii] Presentation side down refers to placing the most attractive side of the salmon (non skin side) down so that when you turn the wellington over on a baking sheet, the salmon is baked with the best side up