What is salmon en croute?

Salmon en croute (also called salmon Wellington) is a classic French-inspired dish of salmon wrapped in puff pastry. En croute means 'in a crust' in French. In the style of a classic beef Wellington, most versions include a layer of mushroom duxelles and a crepe between the fish and the pastry. The duxelles add flavour and the crepe prevents the pastry from going soggy. Salmon en croute makes a spectacular dinner party centrepiece - impressive to look at but straightforward to assemble.

Salmon en Croûte (Salmon Wellington)

Salmon en croûte is the French name for what the British might call ‘salmon Wellington’. Traditional beef Wellington is a series of parcels – beef wrapped in mushroom, wrapped in crêpe, wrapped in pastry – and the method can easily be adapted to other proteins, especially salmon which looks very pretty with its orange flesh contrasting against the golden pastry. When making salmon Wellington (or salmon en croûte) there’s no need to sear the fish, but it is a good idea to salt it well and set it aside for a while to firm it up and season it. The only other variation from the classic beef recipe is cutting an incision where the thinner belly flap of the fish meets the thicker body portion so that you can easily fold it under to form a neat block (see the video below). Use a good all-butter puff pastry, such as Carême and try a glass of Italian varietal pecorino with your salmon Wellington – I especially like the one from The Little Wine Company in the Hunter Valley.

Serves 2

Ingredients

280g piece salmon fillet, skin off, pin-boned (10oz)
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Mushroom Duxelles
Plain flour, for dusting
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (about 36 x 27cm/14″ x 10½″)
1 small sprig rosemary, leaves picked
2 x 20cm (8″) Crêpes

Egg Wash

1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons water (10ml)
Pinch salt flakes, crushed

Method

Sprinkle salmon generously with salt, pat it in well and set aside for 20–30 minutes, then use a clean damp cloth to wipe it off.
Meanwhile, place Mushroom Duxelles between 2 layers of baking paper and roll out into a strip about 30cm (12″) long and 2cm (1″) wider on each side than the salmon.
Place the salmon on a chopping board skin-side down and make an incision where the thinner belly flap joins the thicker section of flesh without cutting quite all the way through.
Roll the thinner belly section under the thicker section to form a neat block.
Rub mustard all over the fish.
Peel off the top layer of paper from the Duxelles and place the salmon in the centre of the Duxelles towards one end.
Using the bottom sheet of paper, carefully roll the sheet of Duxelles around the salmon. Use your hands to gently mould it around the salmon if need be, trim off any excess then twist the ends of the paper to secure it. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes. Use excess Duxelles and pastry trimmings to make cheese and mushroom pies.
Meanwhile, make Egg Wash: Whisk yolk, salt and water together to combine well. Set aside.
Unwrap salmon, leaving it on the sheet of paper and drape 1 crêpe over it.
Place on a clean, dry worksurface, crêpe down, then drape the other crêpe over it.
Fold the crêpe around the salmon to enclose it on all sides, trimming off any excess to form a neat parcel with minimal overlap of crêpe. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
If using Carême pastry place it on a work bench on the sheet it’s rolled in, otherwise place it on a lightly floured work bench.
Trim off a 36 x 10cm (14″ x 4″) strip (cutting through the sheet as well) and set aside in the fridge on the plastic.
Brush Egg Wash all over the large piece of pastry.
Place the salmon in the centre and fold the pastry around it, trimming off excess and, if necessary, using that to patch any uncovered sections of salmon so it’s completely enclosed.
Use the paper to turn the parcel over onto a baking paper-lined baking tray, seam side down, and pinch the pastry at each end to seal it. Brush the top and sides well with Egg Wash and set aside.
Place the smaller strip of pastry on the work bench on its plastic sheet (or on a piece of baking paper).
Dust the top well with flour then, holding the end closest to you in place with one hand, firmly roll a lattice roller cutter over it.
Gently open up the latticed pastry, using a small sharp knife to open up any sections that aren’t completely cut.
Drape it over the salmon parcel, trim off any excess and tuck the edges in to give a neat appearance. If you don’t have a lattice cutter you can skip this step or cut some thin strips of pastry to decorate the parcel.
Brush lightly with Egg Wash taking care not to trap too much inside the lattice cuts.
Place a rosemary leaf inside each cut, all pointing in the same direction.
Reduce oven to 200°C (400°F) and place the tray inside.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle salmon en croûte with salt, use a serrated knife to cut in half and serve hot.

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Salmon Wellington

Salmon en Croûte FAQ

What is salmon en croûte?

Salmon en croûte (also called salmon Wellington) is a classic French-inspired dish of salmon wrapped in puff pastry. En croûte means ‘in a crust’ in French.

In the style of a classic beef Wellington, most versions include a layer of mushroom duxelles and a crêpe between the fish and the pastry. The duxelles add flavour and the crêpe prevents the pastry from going soggy.

Salmon en croûte makes a spectacular dinner party centrepiece – impressive to look at but straightforward to assemble.

Can you make salmon Wellington ahead of time?

Yes – salmon Wellington is ideal for entertaining precisely because it can be prepared ahead. Assemble the parcel up to the point of baking, cover and refrigerate for several hours, then brush with egg wash and bake just before serving.

The assembled parcel should not be frozen as the pastry and fish will release moisture on thawing and the pastry won’t crisp properly.