Salmon Wellington from COOK: Serve Up Joy

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“Salmon and beetroot is a match made in heaven, if only for the glorious, sunset colours. This looks and sounds like a tricky recipe but is surprisingly straightforward. You can use individual salmon portions instead of a whole fillet – leave a small gap between each one so the pastry makes natural indentations when it cooks, then you can use these as a guide for cutting each portion.” The COOK Kitchen, authors of COOK: Serve Up Joy

1 raw beetroot, scrubbed, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

10g (¼oz) dill, chopped

50g (1¾oz) mascarpone cheese

1 tablespoon horseradish

2 × 320g (11¼oz) ready-rolled all butter puff pastry sheets

600g (1lb 5oz) piece of salmon fillet, skinless and boneless

1 egg yolk, beaten

Place the beetroot into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can chop by hand, but make sure it’s really finely chopped (you might want to wear gloves as it can get quite messy). Tip the beetroot into a saucepan, add the vinegar, along with 50ml (2fl oz) water, and mix. Place on a low heat and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the beetroot is just cooked. Transfer to a bowl, season and put to one side to cool.

Place the dill, mascarpone and horseradish in a bowl and mix to a smooth, thick paste.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper.

Unroll the pastry sheets. Place one sheet on the prepared tray and place the salmon in the middle. Spoon the beetroot over the salmon and dot the dill cream on top. Brush the pastry around the salmon with some of the beaten egg yolks. Drape the second sheet of pastry over the salmon and gently use the side of your hands to bind the edges of the pastry and ensure the salmon is secured tightly in the pastry parcel. Trim the pastry, if needed, but allow a 4cm (1. inch) border all the way around. Use a fork to press into the pastry to crimp the edges. Brush the pastry all over with more beaten egg yolks and prick a hole in the top to allow the steam to escape.

Place the Salmon Wellington in the oven for 25–35 minutes until the pastry is golden and the salmon is just cooked through. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.