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    Home » Blog posts by Rosanna ETC » Food

    Easy Salmon En Croute With Dill Cream Sauce

    Published: Oct 18, 2021 · Modified: Jul 27, 2022 by Rosanna Stevens · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    Don't you just love puff pastry? This salmon en croute with dill cream sauce is a real show stopper and the flaky puff pastry is the leading lady to the moist salmon hero. I have become very enamoured with puff pastry this year, as it's so versatile and lends itself to so many things, including this salmon en croute I baked for my mother's birthday lunch yesterday.

    A whole salmon is enclosed in delicate puff pastry and covered with a thick blend of spinach and cream cheese before being baked to perfection. The puff pastry is crisp, the salmon light and moist and the filling adds a decadent richness to proceedings. Deciding what sauce to serve with salmon en croute can be a tough one, and I made this dill cream sauce that works perfectly.

    The key to a successful salmon en croute is to avoid too much moisture as it will leak out the sides and make everything soggy. Therefore be warned of the cream cheese as unless you buy very high quality from a farm shop or similar, it will have so much water in it - so be sure to squeeze it all out first.

    It's fun to decorate the top with scales like a fish, and easy to do with a knife!

    Salmon en croute

    As I mentioned, I served this salmon en croute as part of a special occasion lunch menu, and if you're keen to recreate it then I made these parmesan biscuits to start and a greengage and hazelnut crumble to finish.

    This dish might have a lot of decadent ingredients in it but it still feels relatively light and makes a lovely option for lunch.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Plating suggestions
    • Wine pairing
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Salmon en croute with a dill cream sauce

    Ingredients

    As usual, I made this salmon en croute with ready-made all-butter puff pastry because it is just so much easier, but feel free to make your own if you prefer.

    • Side of salmon (one side of a whole salmon fish)
    • Puff pastry
    • Spinach
    • Shallot
    • Cream cheese
    • White wine
    • Double cream
    • Dijon mustard
    • Butter
    • Egg
    • Parsley
    • Dill
    • Lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Begin with the cream cheese filling.

    Finely dice the shallot and fry it in some butter, before adding the spinach.

    Cook until the moisture has gone, before allowing it to cool.

    Place your cream cheese into a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the excess water.

    Add the cream cheese, spinach and shallot to a food processor and blend until smooth and all incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set to one side.

    Skin the salmon and trim it to the right size (you can use any leftovers to make fish cakes or even a fish pie).

    Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Cut a piece of baking paper to fit an oven tray and grease it with butter. Lay one of the puff pastry sheets on top.

    Lay the salmon on the puff pastry and cover in the cream cheese and spinach filling.

    A whole side of salmon laid on top of the puff pastry on a lined baking tray, and covered in the spinach cream cheese filling.

    Brush an egg wash around the edges of the pastry and lay the second sheet on top of the fish. Press it down around the salmon and use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing them.

    Using a sharp knife, gently scrape a scale pattern into the top making sure you don't cut too deep.

    Brush the egg wash over the whole thing, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

    salmon en croute ready to be baked in the oven

    Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Salmon en croute in puff pastry

    Whilst your salmon en croute is in the oven, make the sauce for salmon en croute.

    Sauce for salmon en croute

    Heat some butter in a pan and fry the diced shallot. Add the white wine and bring it to a simmer, allowing it to cook down by two thirds (around 10-15 minutes).

    Turn down the heat and add the cream, before bringing it back to a simmering point. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously before adding the dijon mustard.

    Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and herbs before serving.

    Hint: When the salmon en croute is done, the puff pastry will be a golden brown colour.

    Try not to open the oven at all during cooking, as it lets moisture into the oven, messes with the temperature and will stop the puff pastry from rising as much and crisping up to perfection. If you're worried about it overcooking, check on it with 5 minutes still to go.

    Plating suggestions

    A showstopper like a whole salmon en croute should be shown to guests in all its glory, so bring it out on a large platter or a wooden chopping board before slicing up and serving. Pour the dill cream sauce into a warm serving jug and allow guests to drizzle over their food before devouring.

    Wine pairing

    We need to cut through the dill cream sauce so a crisp and light white wine will pair wonderfully. Try a Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc or an unoaked chardonnay.

    Equipment

    I'd recommend using a large but shallow baking tray for this recipe, as you don't want too much steam around the puff pastry as it won't crisp up.

    Storage

    Store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days.

    Top tip

    If you love a wellington, I also have a pork wellington recipe which is another great showstopper.

    What does salmon en croute mean?

    Simply put, a food that is wrapped in pastry and baked in the oven is known as 'en croute' which is French for 'in crust'.

    Can you eat salmon en croute cold?

    Yes, salmon en croute works well as a cold lunch or picnic item.

    How to stop salmon en croute going soggy?

    Avoid a baking tray with high sides as this will create steam. Also avoid baking the salmon en croute in an oven at the same time as anything with a high water content, like vegetables which will also create steam. And finally, do not open the oven whilst the salmon en croute is cooking, as it lets in moisture (which creates steam).

    Can you reheat salmon en croute?

    Yes, simply reheat in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the puff pastry is hot and crispy.

    Salmon en croute with a dill cream sauce

    Rosanna Stevens
    Flaky salmon encased in puff pastry with a spinach and cream cheese filling served with a dill cream sauce
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Resting time 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine French
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 819 kcal

    Equipment

    • food processor
    • Frying pan
    • Oven tray
    • Baking parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    Salmon en croute

    • 1 kilogram salmon (whole side)
    • 500 grams puff pastry (or use 2 ready rolled sheets)
    • 180 grams cream cheese
    • 150 grams spinach
    • 1 shallot
    • 1 egg For egg wash only
    • 10 grams Butter
    • salt and pepper

    Dill cream sauce

    • 400 ml Double cream
    • 250 ml White wine
    • 1 Shallot
    • 10 grams butter
    • 2 tablespoon parsley
    • 2 tablespoon dill
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • ½ lemon
    • salt and pepper

    Instructions
     

    Cream cheese filling

    • Finely dice the shallot and fry it in the butter over medium heat, before adding the spinach. Cook until the moisture has gone, before allowing it to cool completely.
    • Place your cream cheese into a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the excess water. Then add the cream cheese, spinach and shallot to a food processor and blend until smooth and all incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set to one side.

    Make the salmon en croute

    • Preheat oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F.
    • Roll out the puff pastry into two rectangles so that both pieces are slightly larger than the salmon.
    • Prepare the salmon. Remove the skin carefully with a sharp knife (or fish filleting knife), and trim it if needed (you can use any leftovers to make fish cakes or fish pie).
    • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it lightly with butter. Lay one of the puff pastry sheets on top. 
    • Lay the salmon on the puff pastry and spread the cream cheese and spinach filling all over the top, right to the sides.
    • Brush an egg wash (one egg mixed with a tablespoon of water) around the edges of the bottom puff pastry sheet and lay the second sheet on top of the fish. Press it down around the salmon and use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing them.
    • Decorate your salmon in puff pastry. Using a sharp knife, gently score a scale pattern into the top making sure you don't cut too deep. 
    • Brush the egg wash over the whole salmon en croute, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
      Rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

    Dill cream sauce

    • Whilst your salmon en croute is in the oven, make the sauce. 
    • Heat some butter in a pan and fry the diced shallot. Add the white wine and bring it to a simmer, allowing it to cook down by half (around 10-15 minutes).  
    • Turn down the heat and add the cream, before bringing it back to a simmering point. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously before adding the dijon mustard. 
    • Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper just before serving.

    Notes

    Tips to avoid soggy pastry! 
    Blot the salmon thoroughly before use to absorb any excess moisture.
    Strain the cream cheese through cheesecloth/muslin to get rid of any water content and make sure it’s really thick and dense. I have found that most cream cheeses, bar the expensive organic ones you find in farm shops, have so much water in them and this will complicate things for you, especially if you make the salmon en croute in advance.
    Squeeze out the spinach once it is cooked, it also holds onto a lot of water!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 819kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 33gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 183mgSodium: 351mgPotassium: 896mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2975IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword dill cream sauce, puff pastry, salmon en croute
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Jean says

      October 30, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      this salmon puff pastry looks so good! you made the steps easy to follow!

      Reply
    2. Kalin says

      October 30, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      YUM this sounds incredible and the puff pastry looks perfect! I haven’t had one in way too long

      Reply
    3. Linda says

      October 30, 2021 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      I've had a craving for salmon en croute lately & so happy to have found your recipe! This is such an easy recipe to execute (thank you for the great instructions!) and absolutely delish! The fam is already asking when we'll have it again.

      Reply
    4. Kayla says

      October 30, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      This salmon en croute was so delicious! The perfect dinner!

      Reply
    5. Giangi says

      October 30, 2021 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      I enjoy salmon and this will be perfect for the holiday season. Thank you for sharing

      Reply
    6. Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says

      October 30, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so beautiful and I bet tastes delicious. Definitely something to try making now that the cold weather is upon us!

      Reply
    7. Shilpa says

      October 30, 2021 at 8:54 pm

      5 stars
      This looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe

      Reply
    8. Bianca says

      October 30, 2021 at 10:21 pm

      I've just seen this on a cooking show last week and wanted to try it ever since! Just so good! So happy I found this recipe thank you!

      Reply
    9. Gina says

      October 31, 2021 at 3:20 am

      5 stars
      This is such a great dinner idea for family and friends. This is impressive to serve to guest.

      Reply
    10. Rob says

      March 21, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I've always been too scared to try this before but I just tried this recipe and it worked brilliantly.

      Reply
    11. J Robinson says

      January 07, 2023 at 3:58 pm

      How long before I cook it can I make it? 3 or 4 hours? A day? I want to prep well ahead…. Thx

      Reply
      • Rosanna Stevens says

        January 07, 2023 at 4:59 pm

        Hi! So you can make it the day before but it would be important to take a few precautions to prevent leakage of moisture into the pastry. Firstly, blot the salmon thoroughly to absorb any excess moisture. Secondly, the cream cheese that is in the filling would need to be strained through cheesecloth/muslin to get rid of any water content and make sure it’s really thick and dense. I have found that most cream cheeses, bar the expensive organic ones you find in farm shops, have so much water in them and this will complicate things for you if you make it too far in advance. And thirdly really squeeze out the spinach! But if everything is super dry before you assemble the salmon en croute then you’ll be fine! I hope you enjoy, thanks so much for trying it x

        Reply

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    Rosanna Stevens opening a bottle of champagne.

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    I'm Rosanna, a trained chef, published writer and food and style fanatic. I believe in using food and drink to make every day an event with fresh and seasonal produce, wine pairings and a perfectly styled plate.

    I write for publications in the UK, USA and Central America on food, travel and the destinations I love and have also created several recipe ebooks and Stop The Scroll, a beginner's guide to food styling and photography. Thanks for being here!

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