SALMON WELLINGTON

A tasty variation of the classic meat recipe

One of the world’s most classic dishes, beef Wellington consists of a good piece of meat, previously browned in a pan to preserve all its juices, a mushroom duxelle (sauteed mushrooms with minced shallot) and, sometimes, duck foie gras, depending on the recipe. Then, everything is wrapped in a sheet of puff pastry and baked in the oven so that the meat is perfectly cooked and the puff pastry becomes crispy.

It is an invention of the British military man Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, who liked the dish so much, hence the name. It can be made with meat or fish, which is why you can find this recipe made with lamb, pork loin, or salmon.

This fish is stuffed with sauteed spinach with a creamy bechamel sauce prepared over low heat. Don’t forget to add a touch of nutmeg, which yields delicious results.

Turn on the oven and uncork a bottle of white wine next to a S.Pellegrino to enjoy a recipe you will never forget.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 400 g salmon loin
• 200 g frozen cut spinach
• 25 g butter
• 35 g wheat flour
• 250 ml of milk
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Nutmeg

Step by step preparation

1. Heat the butter in a pan and brown the flour. Add spinach, previously defrosted, well-drained, and chopped. Stir until obtaining an even consistency.
2. Add the milk, little by little, and stir continuously so that it is incorporated into the spinach and flour mixture. Cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Adjust salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste before removing from heat and letting cool.
3. Remove the skin from the salmon and, if necessary, the bones. Cut in half, turn one of the halves 90º, and place next to the other to form a rectangle. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut the puff pastry in half and, from one of the halves, cut a strip of approximately one centimeter.
5. Place the smaller piece of puff pastry on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and, on top of it, the salmon and spinach cream. Brush the borders of the puff pastry with beaten egg and place the other half of puff pastry on top. Press the edges to seal and trim to match.
6. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg and decorate with puff pastry leaves (made from the reserved strip of dough) and brush again with egg.
7. Make a hole in the center of the dough.
8. Cook the puff pastry in the oven (preheated to 210ºC) for about 25 minutes.

Tips

• If the surface of the puff pastry browns too quickly before the end of the baking time, cover with aluminum foil.
• Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack so that the heat reaches more directly below and the base of the puff pastry is well done.
• Spinach can be upgraded with a handful of raisins or replaced with chard leaves.