Fancy Pants Salmon Bake
Perfect for a special occasion. Looks good on the table and the puff pastry keeps the salmon moist. If the pastry fingers are too much trouble, it also looks good just wrapped in pastry with a few pastry leafs or a fish or other fancy pants cut-outs on top. Since discovering this recipe in a magazine a couple of years ago, it's been my easiest and most impressive main for special occasions.
Set oven at 400° - regular oven.
(or 375° in convection oven for 20 to 35 minutes depending on how thick the fish is – perfect dish for convection cooking because the pastry gets golden all round)
3 tbsp. sundried tomato pesto, drained
¼ cup chopped scallions
In bowl, mix pesto and scallions.
You can substitute tartar sauce for pesto. Or a vidalia/peach salsa. Experiment!
1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed (President’s Choice Butter Puff is yummy and already rolled in sheets)
On lightly floured surface, press together short sides of pastry dough sheets to form one sheet. Use lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 24” x 12” rectangle. Place on greased baking sheet.
1 salmon fillet, approximately 3 lbs., skinned and trimmed to 14” x 5”
Put salmon in centre. Add salt and pepper, top with pesto mix. Cut pastry into 1” wide fingers up to edge of fish on both sides. Wrap fingers over salmon, alternating sides to braid. Trim excess dough.
Use leaf shaped cookie cutter to make decorations out of the excess dough and arrange on salmon. Or whatever... try making little fishies, they're also very easy and you don't need a cookie cutter.
1 egg, lightly beaten
Brush with egg and bake 20 to 35 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.
This is really nice with mustard sauce –a white sauce with a couple of tablespoons of honey mustard added.
Set oven at 400° - regular oven.
(or 375° in convection oven for 20 to 35 minutes depending on how thick the fish is – perfect dish for convection cooking because the pastry gets golden all round)
3 tbsp. sundried tomato pesto, drained
¼ cup chopped scallions
In bowl, mix pesto and scallions.
You can substitute tartar sauce for pesto. Or a vidalia/peach salsa. Experiment!
1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed (President’s Choice Butter Puff is yummy and already rolled in sheets)
On lightly floured surface, press together short sides of pastry dough sheets to form one sheet. Use lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 24” x 12” rectangle. Place on greased baking sheet.
1 salmon fillet, approximately 3 lbs., skinned and trimmed to 14” x 5”
Put salmon in centre. Add salt and pepper, top with pesto mix. Cut pastry into 1” wide fingers up to edge of fish on both sides. Wrap fingers over salmon, alternating sides to braid. Trim excess dough.
Use leaf shaped cookie cutter to make decorations out of the excess dough and arrange on salmon. Or whatever... try making little fishies, they're also very easy and you don't need a cookie cutter.
1 egg, lightly beaten
Brush with egg and bake 20 to 35 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.
This is really nice with mustard sauce –a white sauce with a couple of tablespoons of honey mustard added.