Salmon en croute

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 Salmon fillets
2½ cup Court bouillon; * see note
1 pounds Puff pastry; (thawed if froz ---duxelles stuffing-----
1 medium Onion; finely chopped
6 Green onions; washed and cho
2 tablespoons Tomato puree; (paste)
2 tablespoons Fish liquor
4 cups Mushrooms; wash & chop fine
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Fresh parsley; chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepp

Directions

* See Lemon Trout recipe.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onions and green onions over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and continue cooking for a further 3 minutes. Lastly, add the tomato puree and reduced fish liquid, season well and add parsley. Allow to cool. (The vegetables for the duxelles stuffing may be chopped in the blender or food processor.)

Steam the salmon fillets in the court-bouillon for about 15-20 minutes.

Allow to cool in the liquid. Remove the fish. Skin each side and carefully remove the top two fillets, then lift out the bones and the two further fillets will appear underneath.

Divide the pastry in two with one piece bigger than the other and roll out the smaller piece. Cut it into a simple fish shape with a slightly pointed nose coming out to a flat head, a rounded body and fan tail. Make a paper pattern about 12 inches long as a guideline, if necessary.

Arrange two pieces of fish on the pastry with the broad ends meeting in the middle and the narrower parts at either end. Cover with the duxelles stuffing and then place the other two pieces of fish neatly on top.

Roll out the larger half of the pastry about 2 inches bigger than the previous piece. Dampen the edges with cold water and place over the fish, tucking the extra pastry underneath and molding it to secure and improve the fish shape.

Cut the remaining strips of pastry into crescents for decoration and thin strips to decorate the tail with fins. Make several slits down the back to allow the steam to escape.

Paint with beaten egg, arrange the decorations also glazed with egg, and bake in a hot oven (425) for 20 minutes. If the pastry is browning too quickly, turn down the heat after 15 minutes.

Serve with Hollandaise Sauce.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from a recipe in Myra Street's "Classic Fish Dishes")

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