Hey! I have been wanting to try this recipe for a very long time. I first saw this recipe on Master Chef Junior and I figured if a 10 year old can make it…why can’t I! One of the toughest parts about cooking, in my opinion, is being brave enough to try things you never thought possible. I have no training in cooking, but I do have a willingness to try. There are countless recipes I have botched, but I choose to get back up and try again.

One of my favorite parts about learning to cook is gaining confidence. Cooking has brought me more confidence than I thought possible. Not only is it stress relieving for me, but it challenges me mentally and sometimes physically. Learning to cook has given me confidence in my self and has expanded my palate. I have always been a picky eater and by picky I mean PICKY, but cooking food for myself encourages me to try things I never would have before.

Try out this recipe! Just jump head first.

This recipe I adapted from a few different recipes.

Note: this recipe can be made the exact same way, but with beef.

Salmon en Croute

Ingredients

• 1 piece of salmon, about 1 lb (skinned)
• A little olive oil
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2-3 TBS cream cheese
• 2-3 big handfuls of spinach
• 1 head of garlic, minced
• 1TBS minced onion
• 500 g shortcrust pastry
• Plain flour, to dust
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

• Check the salmon for pin bones, removing any that you find with tweezers, then cut in half. Line a baking tray with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
• In a small pan sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add spinach until wilted down. Remove from heat
• Mix the lemon zest, mustard, cream cheese and some salt and pepper in a bowl, to make the filling.
• Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture over one fillet, on the boned side, and the mustard evenly on the other fillet. Then add the spinach mixture. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so both ends are of an even thickness.
• Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, the thickness of a dime and large enough to enclose the salmon. Put the salmon parcel in the centre of the pastry and brush the surrounding pastry with egg. Bring up the edges, trimming off any excess, and tuck them in before folding the rest of the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray.
• Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F
• Bake the salmon for 20-–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. To test if ready, insert a skewer into the middle. It should feel warm for medium cooked salmon. A piping hot skewer indicates that the fish is well done.
• Rest the salmon for 5 minutes, then cut into portions using a serrated knife. Serve with hollandaise sauce.
  Recipe: adapted Recipe by, Ramsay’s Best Menus, by Gordon Ramsay