Salmon Wellington

Salmon is my preferred protein source. Pastries are my preferred everything-else-to-eat source. This is a variation of Ryan's grandmother's recipe; I wanted to add vegetables and cheese to the filling. You can make pastry dough from scratch, or you can buy sheets of pastry dough from the grocery store. This recipe is such a comfort food; between the buttery flaky pastry crust, the warm goat cheese and white wine sauteed spinach, and the tender salmon, this meal is in a league of it's own. Even better, it's very easy to prep and doesn't require excessive time spent in the kitchen. Serve with a chilled white wine, I've been enjoying Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays recently. Enjoy!


Pastry
 
Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup ice water, plus additional 1-4 tbsp ice water

Method:
 

1) Whisk together flour, and salt in a bowl (or pulse in a food processor). 

2) Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. 

3) Drizzle 1/3 cup ice water over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Squeeze a ball of dough; if it doesn't hold together, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again.

4) Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, and press into a ball. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. 

Wellington

Ingredients:

4 fresh wild salmon filets, skin removed
2 cups goat cheese, crumbled
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups fresh kale, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped 
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. While oven is heating, roll out pastry dough on a floured surface until approximately 1/4" thick, cut into 4 individual squares.

2) On medium heat, saute garlic, onion, dill, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil for 2 minutes. Add white wine, and saute an additional 2 minutes. 

3) Gradually add chopped spinach and kale, fully combining white wine sauce with greens. Saute until spinach and kale begin to wilt. Drain excess liquid.

4) Coat salmon filets with thin layer of olive oil, and place on one side of the pastry squares.

5) Top salmon steaks with sauteed greens and a generous sprinkling of goat cheese.

6) Rub inside perimeter of pastry square with beaten egg. Fold pastry over the salmon filling, sealing along edges with a fork. Brush with additional egg ensure edges are sealed.

7) Bake on baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, or until salmon is cooked until desired doneness, and pastry is golden brown.