24 28 MARCH 2024 Food&Drink Salmon en croûte Serves 6 Prepare 30 minutes + overnight curing Cook 35-40 minutes For the cure 25g sea salt akes 20g soft light brown sugar 1 unwaxed lemon, zest 2 x 500g packs No.1 Scottish Prime Fillet of Salmon (look for pieces that are the same size) For the lling 1 clove garlic 25g pack coriander 25g pack at leaf parsley 2 preserved lemons ¼ tsp ground cumin 50ml olive oil ¼-½ tsp chilli akes, or to taste (optional) 80g pack spinach ½ x 250g tub mascarpone ½ lemon, juice and extra wedges to serve (optional) For the pastry A little plain our, for rolling 500g block pu pastry 1 British Blacktail Free Range Medium Egg, beaten 1 Prepare the cure the day before by combining the salt, sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Remove the skin from the salmon llets, then run your ngers over the top to check for any small bones and remove. 2 Place the salmon into a shallow bowl and rub both pieces with the cure. Cover with baking parchment or foil, then weigh it down with a couple of cans and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. 3 Place the garlic in a spice grinder, mini chopper or pestle and mortar. Tear in the coriander and parsley (remove any thick, woody stems) and blend until nely chopped. Remove and discard the seeds from the preserved lemons and add what’s left to the mixture with the cumin, olive oil and chilli akes. Blitz again until well combined, then tip into a mixing bowl. 4 Finely chop the spinach and add to the herby paste with the mascarpone and lemon juice. Stir well, then set aside. Remove the salmon from the fridge, drain the liquid and rinse well to remove the cure. Pat dry using kitchen paper. 5 Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Lightly our the work surface and cut ⅔ of the pastry block. Roll it out into a rectangle large enough to fully wrap around the salmon, approx 35x28cm. Place 1 salmon llet into the The Best centre, then top with the lling. Sandwich the second llet on top, stacking the thinner end with the thickest part of the bottom layer to create an even-shaped block. 6 Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Fold the long sides around the pastry, pinching underneath to create a seam, then fold the short ends up to create a parcel. Flip over and place onto the lined tray. 7 Using the remaining pastry, create a lattice (see tip). Brush the top with beaten egg, then stretch the lattice to fully cover the top. Brush again with egg, then chill the en croûte until the pastry is rm. You can make and chill it a couple of hours ahead. 8 When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown all over and cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve. Per serving 3191kJ/766kcals/51g fat/19g saturated fat/ 35g carbs/1.5g sugars/3.7g bre/41g protein/1.8g salt MARTHA’S TIPS The lattice top Making a lattice top for the en croûte creates a professional, polished look – people won’t believe you made it from scratch. You can buy a lattice pastry cutter or go for the DIY approach. Simply roll the leftover pastry into a thin rectangle (28x10cm), then use a sharp knife to make a dashed line of incisions around 2cm long down the long edge, leaving 0.5cm gap between each. Continue with a second row, this time making sure the incisions line up with the gaps. Repeat, alternating rows, until the whole piece is covered. Stretch it over your nished en croûte to create a pretty net pattern. Curing the salmon Curing the salmon has two purposes. The avours need time to permeate the esh, so 24 hours is ideal for seasoning the sh to perfection. Curing also removes moisture and rms up the salmon, so it has a better texture and you’ll avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. It isn’t essential, so skip it if you don’t have time, but I recommend giving it a go. Time-saving tricks To make the lling quickly (or save washing up your food processor), swap the herb paste for a 95g jar Cooks’ Ingredients Chermoula Paste. Add the spinach, mascarpone and lemon, then continue with the recipe. Here’s a luxurious centrepiece for your Easter table – beautiful salmon encased in buttery, flaky pastry. Salmon en croûte can be rich, so I’ve paired it with a chermoula-style filling instead of the classic watercress. This North Africaninspired marinade is packed full of grassy herbs, tangy preserved lemons and earthy spices, which all work perfectly with the delicate fillets of fish. I’ve opted to cure my salmon for maximum flavour and the best texture, but skip this step if you’re in a hurry. with Martha Collison Photographs: Maja Smend, Food styling: Bianca Nice, Styling: Wei Tang,, Art direction: Corrie Heale
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