Puff Pastry Salmon Wellington

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Category: Mains

Puff pastry salmon wellington makes a fantastic festive dish for the holidays or any other special occasion. It features a crispy golden puff pastry filled with a creamy leek-salmon filling, seasoned to perfection.

Ingredients

Scale

1 large puff pastry sheet
12.3 ounces (350g) salmon fillets, portioned and skin off*
Fresh dill, chopped
½ lemon, juice and zest
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 or 2 leeks (about 7.7 ounces / 220g), rinsed and sliced**
2 Tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup (160g) mascarpone, softened at room temperature and divided***
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Black and white sesame (or poppy seeds)

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Instructions

Cut the salmon portions in half, so that they all are roughly the same size. Season generously on both sides with salt, pepper and fresh dill. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and let marinate in a shallow dish for about 15 minutes.
Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium heat. Add the shallots, leeks, and cook them until tender but not brown, stirring often, about 5-8 minutes. Add a splash of white wine, and cook for 2 additional minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard, ⅓ cup (70g) mascarpone, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Unfold a large round or rectangle puff pastry sheet onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) together with a baking sheet.
Using an offset spatula or a rubber spatula, spread the remaining ⅓ cup (70g) mascarpone in a large strip the middle of the puff pastry, leaving a margin on the top and bottom side. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle some fresh dill all over. Cover with the salmon portions, making them overlap to ensure a thick layer of salmon throughout. Season with more salt, add pink peppercorn, more fresh dill, and lemon zest. Now cover with the leek mixture.
Cut the puff pastry sides into parallel diagonal strips, about 0.6-inch (1,5 cm) each, on both sides of the filling. Fold the top and bottom part of the puff pastry over the filling, then fold the strips, alternating right and left side, until the salmon-leek filling is covered entirely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 Tablespoon water and a pinch of salt. Brush the puff pastry with egg wash, and cover with white and/or black sesame.

Slide the salmon wellington with its baking sheet onto the hot preheated baking sheet**** (be very careful not to burn yourself) and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

* I recommend 4 individual salmon portions, each cut in half. Remember to use them skin off (you can ask the people in charge in the fish section to remove it for you, they usually have very sharp knives to do it).

** Important note about the leeks. Use the white part and bright green part only (discard the tough dark green leaves and use them for a leek potato soup for instance). Cut the leek lengthwise in the center, then slice it thinly. It’s important to rinse it very well under running water to remove any dirt or sand (you don’t want a sandy texture, it would ruin the dish). Drain well before using, pat-drying with paper towel if necessary. I usually use a salad spinner to make my job easier.

*** Mascarpone can be replaced with plain cream cheese.

**** Baking the salmon wellington onto a very hot baking sheet ensures that the bottom part will be crispy instead of turning soggy while baking.