Miss Pixies Salmon Spinach Mozzarella In Pastry Food

SALMON WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Leave the salmon in the refrigerator.
• Melt the butter in a small bowl or saucepan. Stir in the Dijon, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Add the spinach in large handfuls, cooking until it wilts, about 1 minute. Stir in the garlic, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir in the Parmesan. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water to act as an egg wash. Set aside.
• Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a 12x14-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry in half crosswise so you are left with two rectangles that are 12 x 7 inches each.
• Remove the salmon fillets from the refrigerator and place on a plate. Brush the tops of the fillets liberally with the butter mixture, then place each fillet, butter-side down, in the center of a piece of puff pastry. Spoon half of the cooled vegetables over the top.
• Fold one side of the puff pastry over the top of the fillet like a flap, so that it partially covers it, then brush the top of the flap with egg wash. Fold the next side, adhering it to the first if the flaps are large enough to touch (the egg wash should act as a "glue"), then brush its top with egg wash. Repeat until all 4 sides are folded over. It should be as if you are wrapping up the salmon like a delicious present. Don't stress over the order of the flaps. As long as it's well sealed and covers the salmon, you're golden. Carefully flip the salmon over and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, with the folded side underneath. Repeat with the second fillet.
• Brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg wash, then with a sharp knife, score shallow, diagonal lines in each direction in a crosshatch pattern.
• Bake the salmon for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden brown. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet. Serve hot.

SPINACH IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the butter in a saute pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the onion mixture, scallions, Gruyere, Parmesan, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and pignolis. Mix well.
• Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash. Roll out the second piece of puff pastry on a floured board until it's an inch larger in each direction. Place the second sheet of pastry over the spinach and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork. Brush the top with egg wash but don't let it drip down the sides or the pastry won't rise. Make three small slits in the pastry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Transfer to a cutting board and serve hot.

PUFF PASTRY-WRAPPED SALMON

Steps:

• For the salmon: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and wilt for 4 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• Dust a flat working surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the sheets of puff pastry into 1/4-inch thickness (each 12 by 12 inches). Put the pastry sheets side-by-side so they overlap slightly, by about 1/2 inch. Brush the overlapping strip with the beaten egg, stick both sheets together at the strip and seal with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Spoon the cooled mushroom-spinach mixture over one side of the puff pastry rectangle. To make an even rectangle out of the salmon fillet, you can cut the top portion off of the belly and add it to the tail part. Place the fillet over the mushroom-spinach mixture. Season the salmon heavily with salt and pepper. Fold the other side of the rectangle over the filling and seal by brushing the edge with egg wash and crimping as you would a pie crust (you can use a fork; I crimped like a pie crust with my fingers). Fold the remaining 2 open edges of pastry under the salmon fillet. Brush everything with the egg wash.
• Bake until the puff pastry is crisp and golden in color, 25 minutes. Let stand for about 8 minutes before slicing.
• For the dill sauce: Put the clam juice in a heavy saucepot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add the Mexican crema and heavy cream and reduce to 1 cup. Add the flour and whisk while boiling until thickened. Add the dill and season with salt and pepper.
• Slice the salmon into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch slices. Serve immediately with the dill sauce.

SALMON EN CROûTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in the spinach. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts. Once wilted, stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in the parmesan cheese and the lemon juice.
• Place the sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet. I like to lay a bed of creamed spinach right in the center, about the size (or slightly smaller) than the salmon filet. Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper. Place it right on top of the spinach.
• Wrap up the puff pastry, folding in all sides until the salmon is covered. Gently flip it over so the seams are on the bottom. Brush the pastry all over with the egg wash - on the tops and side. Score the pastry a few times on top.
• Bake the pastry for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and crisp on the outsides. Remove and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve!

SALMON AND SPINACH IN PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix together the mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, and goat cheese until smooth.
• Slightly roll out the pastry and cut into eight square pieces.
• Season the salmon with the salt and pepper and cut each filet into quarters.
• Place one piece of salmon in the center of each piece of pastry.
• Place 1/8 of the spinach on top of each piece of salmon and top with 1/8 of the cheese mixture.
• Pull the pastry over the sides of the salmon and lightly seal the top. Seal the sides well with cold water. (This is so the top opens and looks pretty and the sides stay shut to hold everything inside.).
• Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
• Serve warm.