For a vegetarian version take a look at our Mushroom Wellington recipe. With so many holidays packed into this time of year, it’s handy to have a few extra special occasion recipes ready to go. After all, nothing says celebration like a fabulous meal with friends and loved ones! Throw a white tablecloth on your dinner table along with some candles, pop a bottle of Champagne and transform your house into a little French bistro. I’ve got the perfect recipe! Meet Salmon en Croute, or as you might know it, Salmon Wellington. Think moist, flavourful salmon slathered in herby mascarpone cheese. Wrap it in flaky, buttery puff pastry crust and you have an elegant meal that’s fit for any occasion!
What is Salmon en Croute?
The French word for “en croute” simply means “in pastry”, so what you get is puff pastry-wrapped salmon. But that is not all. The traditional salmon en croute recipe calls for a fillet of salmon to be topped with a combination of watercress and crème fraîche. This makes the filling absolutely irresistible. Salmon en Croute is impressive and elegant, not to mention delicious. For my version I replaced crème fraîche with mascarpone cheese and watercress with minced kale, which took this dish to the next level. My recipe for salmon en croute is absolutely sublime. Don’t be intimidated by the process. I will walk you through it!
How to make it
This recipe can be made in advance so you can relax on the day of celebration. You can prepare it the night before and keep it in the fridge. Then just pop it in the oven for half an hour and your restaurant quality dinner is ready. You can enjoy your time together like you would if you were out! Simply mince the kale as finely as you can or use your food processor. Mix it with mascarpone cheese (wonderful is savoury recipes like this one or Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce) flavoured with a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then place the piece of salmon on top of rolled out puff pastry, spread the kale and mascarpone mixture in an even layer, and wrap following the visual guide below. Now ether refrigerate until needed or bake it immediately. As you can see this recipe has a pretty short ingredient list. Surprised? Don’t be. Classic French cuisine heavily relies on quality ingredients for its delicious taste! What I particularly love about cooking salmon in pastry is that the puff pastry keeps all the juices in, which makes your salmon especially moist and flavourful.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is absolutely the centerpiece of the entire dinner. Even if your sides are very simple, you will still manage to impress. Because it is a show-stopping dish, it works for all sorts of special occasions. I’ve served it for a dinner party, Thanksgiving, New Years and Valentine’s Day, and it was a winner each time. I love serving it with baby potatoes first boiled, then bathed in butter and herbs. You can also make our perfectly spiced Roasted Baby Potatoes. Our Spinach Salad with Apples, Bacon and Blue Cheese is inspired by French bistros. It’s a perfect starter to your meal. Finish your dinner with our Chocolate Cake Truffles. Another treat you can make well ahead! And if that is not enough, Blood Orange French 75 cocktails will add another level of festivity to your celebration!
Storage and leftovers
Any leftover Wellington will last for a couple of days if stored in a refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic wrap. Any longer and the pastry will get soggy. One way to reheat is in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes, or until hot throughout. But I find it even better (and quicker) to use an air fryer. It’s the best way to get the pastry buttery and flaky again. If you have a lot of leftovers, it may work best to cut into separate pieces before adding to the air fryer so it reheats more evenly. It should take about 10 minutes in an air fryer heated to 180 degrees.
More special occasion recipes
Creamy Tagliatelle with Bacon, Portobello Mushrooms and Truffle Oil Ribeye Steak with Sicilian Lemon Herb Sauce Cognac Mushroom Steak Sauce Chicken Paillard in Sherry Caper Sauce
