This surefire recipe is so easy to prepare, and it guarantees consistent results. If you are a little uncomfortable with cooking fish, this is great place to start. Even your picky eaters. like my 11-year-old son, are likely to love it. Your more sophisticated family and guests will be impressed with the elegance yet sublime simplicity of this dish.
When presenting options for a cooking class agenda to a group, there was a majority that expressed distaste for seafood. I was a little amazed and told them that their aversion to seafood was the result of seafood that was not fresh.
We should always trust our nose, as it is a pretty solid rule that anything that smells bad should not be eaten, and nothing is more delicate than seafood when not properly stored. On the other hand, truly fresh and properly stored seafood smells clean, like the ocean. That said, I challenged the class. I would present them with a salmon entrée and if they did not like it, they could through it at me. This was the dish I prepared and I am happy to say they not only loved, it, but they were truly surprised and now open to the idea that other properly prepared fresh seafood might also be appealing to them.
This surefire recipe is so easy to prepare, and it guarantees consistent results. If you are a little uncomfortable with cooking fish, this is great place to start.
The recipe is as simple as some light seasoning and a little pesto in a puff pastry (purchased) as frozen) enclosure and baking for 20-25 minutes. I typically double this recipe (making 8 servings) as it does not take much more effort and this great as a leftover.
With the fish enclosed in a pastry dough, I tend to skip adding another carbohydrate to the plate and lean towards veggies and salad.
Salmon en croute is french and translates to salmon in crust. This is a fabulously easy, delicious, healthy and economical meal that appeals to nearly everyone.
- 10 ounces 4-6 ounce skinless boneless salmon fillets
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 17 1/4 ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1/4 cup pesto sauce
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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Open packets containing puff pastry and allow to start warming so they will be more pliable.
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Season the salmon fillets with salt, garlic powder, pepper and onion powder.
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Gently unfold the now more pliable puff pastry sheets. Cut the two sheets of puff pastry, each into 4 even squares.
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If you prefer, skin the salmon or see if your grocery store will skin it for you. Cut the salmon into pieces that will neatly fit on each square, with 3/4"-1" space around all edges. It is ok if you have to have the some of the salmon be in multiple pieces.
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Place a Tablespoon of pesto in the center of the 4 puff pastry squares that will be the bottom pieces
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Place a salmon fillet on top of each mound of pesto. The idea is to not get salmon juice or pesto on the outer 1/2" of the puff pastry, that way, the top piece will adhere more easily.
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Place a puff pastry square on top of each piece of salmon and seal the seams by gently but firmly pinching the edges all the way around. The result should resemble a giant ravioli.
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Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the salmon has cooked all the way through.
Cost:
Cost per serving using Atlantic Salmon is estimated at $3.50.
Time & Effort:
This recipe require medium light effort at about 15 minutes prep time, though it might take 20 minutes your first time.
Leftovers:
This is best served warm from the oven, but it is ok brought back to room temperature after storing in the refrigerator or gently reheated.
Health:
I would consider this a heart heathy recipe but it is worth noting that it tops your daily recommended saturated fat intake of 11-13 grams and represents about half your recommended sodium intake. This is also close to half the recommended 2,000 calorie intake per day. This is so delicious and satisfying that you could halve the servings and it would still be satisfying along with healthy veggies side dishes.
Alex Approved:
Alex approves of salmon, the pastry enclosure and the seasoning as a complete recipe.