Gordon Ramsays Salmon En Croute Food

GORDON RAMSAY'S SALMON EN CROûTE RECIPE

Steps:

• Check the salmon for pin bones, removing any that you find with tweezers, then cut in half. Line a baking tray with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
• Mix the softened butter with the lemon zest, basil, dill and some salt and pepper in a bowl, to make the filling.
• Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the herb butter over one fillet, on the boned side, and the mustard evenly on the other fillet. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so both ends are of an even thickness.
• Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, the thickness of a £1 coin and large enough to enclose the salmon. Put the salmon parcel in the centre of the pastry and brush the surrounding pastry with egg. Bring up the edges, trimming off any excess, and tuck them in before folding the rest of the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray.
• Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
• Bake the salmon for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. To test if ready, insert a skewer into the middle. It should feel warm for medium cooked salmon. A piping hot skewer indicates that the fish is well done.
• Rest the salmon for 5 minutes, then cut into portions using a serrated knife. Serve with hollandaise sauce, new potatoes and broccoli or minted peas.

SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone cheese, dill and zest and juice of the lemon to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside one-third of the filling and reserve for the sauce
• Pat a salmon filet with a paper towel to slightly dry. Place the filet at one end of a strip of phyllo, leaving a 3- to 4-inch overhang, and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the remaining mascapone mixture over the filet then cover with an even, flat layer of the half the spinach leaves. Wrap the phyllo overhang over the filet and roll the salmon up in the dough, brushing the phyllo with butter as you roll. Tuck any excess phyllo under. Prepare the second piece of salmon the same way and place on one of the prepared baking sheets.
• Fold the last piece of phyllo 4 times to a quarter of its original size (an approximate 12-by-9-inch rectangle). Brush with butter and, using a 2-inch heart cutter, cut 6 hearts from the phyllo. Place on the other prepared baking sheet.
• Bake until the hearts are golden, 5 to 10 minutes, and the phyllo around the salmon is crisp, flaky and golden, about 20 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together the reserved mascarpone mixture, the cream, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Warm (do not boil) over medium heat. Serve the salmon packets with a drizzle of cream sauce and top each with 3 hearts. Serve extra sauce on the side.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, oil and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and using a wooden spoon or a Danish whisk, stir the mixture until a shaggy dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until the dough is a bit smoother. Then "slap" the dough and turn it over and knead it until smooth; this could take between 5 to 10 minutes. You can also mix the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. This takes about 10 minutes. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest a room temperature for 2 hours.
• Cover a table (at least 36 inches square) with a clean tablecloth. Sprinkle the cloth all over with flour. Gently press the dough into a rough 12-by-12-inch square and then gently pull the dough into a large square, about 36 inches. Use a pair of clean kitchen scissors to cut the thicker edges off the perimeter and discard them. Allow the dough to rest to dry out just a bit, about 5 minutes.
• Adapted from "Pie it Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes and Other Pastries Reinvented" by Gesine Bullock-Prado © Abrams 2012. Provided courtesy of Gesine Bullock-Prado. All rights reserved.

NEXT LEVEL SALMON EN CROûTE

Steps:

• The day before you want to assemble the en croûte, mix the salt and sugar in a bowl. Scatter half of the mix over a tray, then lay one of the salmon fillets on top, skinned-side down, and scatter with more of the salt mix. Lay the second fillet on top, skinned-side up, and sprinkle over the rest of the salt mix. Cover, then place another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins and put in the fridge for up to 48 hrs, or for at least 12 hrs (the longer you leave it, the firmer the salmon will be).
• When you're ready to assemble the en croûte, unwrap the salmon fillets, rinse them in cold water and dry with kitchen paper, then set aside. Put the watercress, cream cheese, dill, lemon zest and juice, smoked salt (if using) and a generous grinding of pepper into a bowl and mix well, then set aside.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Roll out half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface so it's 2.5cm larger in diameter than the salmon fillet, then drape it over the lined baking tray. Place one of the fillets on the pastry, skinned-side down, and spread with the cream cheese mix, then lay the second fillet on top, skinned-side up. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the beaten yolk. Roll out the rest of the pastry to fit, then drape it over the salmon and tuck it in at the sides. Trim the edges and crimp or press with a fork to seal. Brush with more beaten yolk, then put the en croûte in the fridge for 30 mins before using a spoon to create a scale-like effect along the top of the pastry. Chill for up to 24 hrs or for at least another 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for 20 mins, then glaze with the remaining yolk. Lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 20 mins more, then remove and leave to stand for 10 mins.
• To make the pickle, put the cucumber and onion in a bowl. Tip the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt into a pan and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour over the veg, toss well and set aside. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge. Slice the en croûte into six portions and serve with the pickled veg on the side.

GORDON RAMSAY'S SALMON EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Line baking sheet with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
• Mix softened butter with lemon zest, herbs, some salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Pat salmon fillets dry then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the herb butter over one filet on the boned side and the mustard evenly over the other filet. Sandwich the two fillets together in opposite directions so both ends are of even thickness.
• Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 1/4 in. thick and large enough to enclose the salmon. Put salmon parcel in the center of the pastry and brush the surrounding with egg. Bring up the edges, trimming off any excess, and tuck them in before folding the rest of the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray.
• Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 min. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 F.
• Bake 20-25 min. until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. To test if ready, insert a skewer into the middle. It should feel warm for medium cooked salmon. A piping hot skewer indicates the fish is well done.
• Rest salmon for 5 min. then cut into portions using a serrated knife. Serve with hollandaise sauce, new potatoes and broccoli or minted peas.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: SALMON EN CROûTE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Tip in the shallots and fry for 2-3 mins to soften, then add the mushrooms and garlic, and stir-fry over a high heat for another 3-4 mins, or until the mushrooms and shallots are golden and any liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Pour in the lemon juice - after a few seconds, that should have evaporated too. Remove from the heat, then stir in the watercress so it wilts in the warmth from the pan (see step 1). Stir in the dill and chives, and season with a little salt and pepper. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. When the mushroom mix is cool, stir in the crème fraîche. Lay one of the filo sheets on the worktop with the short end facing you. Brush all over with a little of the remaining oil. Layer up 4 more of the filo sheets in the same way, brushing each with a little of the oil.
• Lay one of the salmon fillets, skin-side up, across the width of the filo, positioning it about one-third of the way up. Season it with pepper. Spoon and spread the cooled mushroom mix over the top of the fillet (see step 2). Lay the other salmon fillet on top, skin-side down. Season again. Fold the short end of pastry nearest to you over the salmon, then bring the other end over to completely enclose the salmon (see step 3), lifting it so the join can tuck under it. Fold both pastry ends over as neatly as you can.
• Brush the outside with a bit more of the remaining oil. Scrunch up the last sheet of filo, pressing it lightly on top in big folds (see step 4), then carefully brush with the last of the oil. Can be prepared 3-4 hrs ahead up to this point and chilled. Transfer the salmon parcel to the baking sheet. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Check while it cooks and if the top starts to brown too quickly, lay a sheet of foil very loosely over it. Remove from the oven and let the salmon sit for 2-3 mins before slicing.