Salmon Wellington

I like to call this Salmon Wellington. In reality it's probably called Salmon En Croute, but this way, it makes me feel as though it's a bit more unusual. I've not really made pastry before, tending to shy away from these things; believe it to be tricky. In reality of course, it's really not too difficult and just requires a bit of weighing and measuring.


Ingredients:

Short Crust Pastry:

1 1/2 Cups / 180g Plain Flour
1 cup / 100g Butter, straight from the fridge
Ice-Cold Water

Fresh Salmon Fillet (skin removed)
2 tbsp Butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp Fresh Sage (chopped)
4 tbsp Fresh Parsley (chopped)
Salt & Black pepper
1 Egg (beaten)


Method:

• For the pastry: Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour, in a large mixing bowl, until what you have resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add very cold water 1 tbsp or so at a time, mixing with your hands to incorporate until a rollable dough is formed. (add the water in small amounts, so as to not over-wet the pastry). Cover and chill for 30 mins.
• Using approx. 1/2 the pastry, roll out to something like 1/4" thickness.
• Take the salmon fillet and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place the butter and chopped herbs into a bowl and work the ingredients together (the best way is by hand) to make a herb butter.
• Rub the herb butter all-over the salmon, on both sides.
• Place the salmon onto the pastry, something like 4 inches up from the bottom edge. Fold up the bottom edge over the top of the fish. Brush the top edge of the pastry with beaten egg and fold this over, to overlap and make a seal. Fold both sides in, using more beaten egg, trimming any excess pastry where necessary, to make a parcel. Brush the remaining beaten egg over the top of the parcel, further sealing the pastry by pinching it or crimping it with your index finger and thumb (improvise here - i'm no expert!).
• Grease and flour a baking sheet, place the parcel on top and bake at 160C/320F/Gas 3 for at least 30 mins and until golden brown (mine took nearer 45).

Serve with potatoes and green vegetables. I also made an easy instant gravy from granules because I just like gravy.

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