Salmon Wellington

4.95 from 50 votes

Salmon Wellington, or Salmon En Croute, is a show-stopper. Salmon fillets topped with creamy spinach and leeks, and wrapped in crispy, buttery puff pastry.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Servings:

Calories: 649kcal

Author: Chef Molly Pisula

Ingredients

4 ounces frozen spinach 115g
1 leek white and light green parts only
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white wine
⅓ cup heavy cream
scant ¾ t. kosher salt plus more for seasoning salmon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more for seasoning salmon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 4-ounce thick salmon fillets skinned (120 g each)
1 sheet puff pastry 8.8 oz or 250g
egg wash 1 egg mixed with 1 T. water and ¼ t. kosher salt

Instructions

Defrost the spinach according to the package instructions and squeeze dry.
Trim dark green leaves and root end from leek, and rinse.
Slice leek in half lengthwise, and then into ¼ inch slices cross-wise. If leek has lots of dirt between its layers, put the leek slices into a bowl of cold water and let sit for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leeks with a slotted spoon and pat dry.
Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and cook until leeks are softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Pour in 2 tablespoons white wine and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add heavy cream, salt, and pepper, and simmer until cream thickens significantly, about 4-5 minutes. You should be able to scrape the bottom of the pan with your spatula and not have the cream run back into the empty area.
Make sure all liquid has been squeezed out of thawed spinach. Then add spinach and lemon juice to saucepan and stir until well coated. Set aside while you prepare the salmon.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C.
Roll puff pastry sheet into a long rectangle, roughly 8.5 inches by 12 inches (21.5 cm x 31 cm), and about ¼ inch thick. It should be wider than the length of your salmon fillets by at least an inch on each side.
Cut in half width-wise, so you have two rectangles that are 8.5 x 6 inches.
Place one salmon fillet in the middle of one of the rectangles, and season well with salt and pepper.
Then arrange half of the creamed leek/spinach mixture on top of the salmon. The spinach mixture should be about ½-inch thick.
Now flip over the fillets so that the spinach is on the bottom and the salmon is skin-side up.
Wet your finger with some water, and then wet the edge of one long side of the pastry. Then fold up the other long side over the salmon.
Fold up the side with the wet edge next, and seal the two sides together.
Cut off excess dough on the two short ends. You just need enough to crimp and then fold under.
Flip salmon packets over, and crimp each end with a fork. Then fold the crimped edges underneath.
Now score the tops of each packet first in one direction and then the other.
Move packets to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush with egg wash.
Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.
Take out baking sheet and put on a cooling rack to rest for a few minutes.
Slice each packet in half to serve.

Notes

Salmon Wellington packets can be assembled through step 19 and frozen to bake later. Wrap each packet in plastic wrap or in a freezer-safe plastic bag and then keep in freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, take directly from the freezer and put onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush with egg wash and bake. Note that you’ll need to add about 15-20 more minutes of cook time.

Also note that I've called this a two-serving recipe. That said, I have made this several times and never can eat more than half a packet for a serving, especially if you are serving it with a side of vegetables or salad.

Should you want to save time and shorten your steps, you can replace the leek/spinach filling with pre-made creamed spinach. And have your fishmonger skin your salmon fillets for you!

Nutrition