5 Star Rating: Salmon Wellingtons

I love anything wrapped in a package.

This was so much easier than Beef Wellingtons, no liver mousse and no mushroom duxelles to make (and not everyone likes liver and mushrooms anyway) and much less expensive than filet mignon.

I made this ahead, and baked it before serving. It made 8 dinner portions and looked pretty fancy, though it couldn't have been any easier.

It's not often that I give a dish a 5 star rating, but this one is deserving.

Don't skip the mustard cream (which I usually serve w/ my Dinner Party Asparagus) to accompany the wellies, it was really a nice compliment to the fish.



Salmon Wellingtons: (adapted from Food Network)
makes 4 strudels (I cut them in half and served 8 people)

1 package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Four 1/2 lb. portions (2 lbs. total, 4 filets) of Atlantic salmon, skin removed (ask the fish monger to do this for you)
4 tbsp butter
3 fat leeks, washed and trimmed (use white parts only), and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
2 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper
1/2 cup of white wine (I used a Chardonnay)
1 egg plus tsp water for the egg wash

Mustard Cream:

1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of kosher salt
white or black ground pepper

To make the mustard cream, whisk the mustard and cream together (I use a little less cream than the original recipe calls for) and season w/ pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

In a heavy skillet, heat the butter on medium and saute the leeks and red onion for about 8 minutes until soft. Season w/ salt & pepper and add the tarragon and the wine and bring to a boil until the liquid is totally cooked off. Set aside and cool the leek mixture.



Cut the puff pastry sheets into 4 long pieces (cut down the center of each sheet) and line them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Roll out the puff pastry just a little bit to make it wide enough to hold the salmon filets and be able to seal the edges closed.

Lay the cooled leek mixture on the bottom of the 4 halves of puff pastry.
Make sure your salmon is patted dry so the pastry does not get soggy. Lay each piece of salmon on top of the leek mixture and season w/ kosher salt & pepper.



Fold up or roll the pastry to cover all of the salmon and leek mixture, making little packages. Pinch the edges closed with your fingers and lay the packages seam sides down on the baking sheet.



Brush with an egg wash all over and cut little vents in the top of the packets w/ a pairing knife.

Bake at 400F for 25 minutes (may need a bit longer if you have thick salmon).
Let rest 20 minutes before cutting in half with a serrated knife.



These things were really huge. Cut each strudel in half to get 8 halves. Believe me, it's so much, even half a portion was so filling.

Serve w/ mustard cream and enjoy!



This gets my 5 star rating *****

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