Easy Salmon En Croute with Spinach and Cream Cheese

The Salmon Wellington also known as Salmon en Croute, is a minor degree less luxurious than its close relative the Beef Wellington. I have simplified this recipe to make for a quicker meal prep experience, by replacing with some premade ingredients – For example, there is no duxelles (which is a mushroom paste) or bacon, and I used a premade dough to save your loads of time.

However, this easy Salmon en Croute is still super rich and delicious meal. All you need are a few ingredients and you’re on your way to making an impressive one-pot meal to host a fancy birthday dinner or bring to a potluck party.

This Easy Salmon en Croute Recipe has been Simplified

Below is a video which will show you the step by step instructions to making Salmon en Croute with spinach and cream cheese. Before you try the recipe, here’s a key point to know: I used pre-portioned salmon fillets from CPJ Market, but I prefer slicing a whole salmon filet, so that I have more control over the portion sizes. Because the salmon are cut into rectangles there will be a space to the sides when the Wellington when is baked and cut in half because the fish isn’t round like the beef tenderloin is it’s hard to get the sides filled out with the size puff pastry that we’re using.

How to Make Salmon En Croute with Spinach and Cream Cheese

Adding cream cheese to this dish is a no brainer as it pairs perfectly with greens and salmon alike. The cream cheese also acts as a glue to keeping the ingredients together and minimize movement. (feel free to use a dairy free cream cheese if you have access to one)

There are several greens that will work for this dish – kale, collards, spinach, or callaloo which I used one widely available here in the tropics and my favourite. Callaloo (or Amaranth) leaves have a meaty taste when seasoned and are medium-firm in texture, like a mix between collard and spinach. For my recipe, we are substituting the spinach for callaloo.

Quick Overview of the Steps

This easy Salmon en Croute can be whittled down to three basic steps

1. Make your filling – the hardest part of this is to sautee your greens. Feel free to experiment with the filling flavor by adding some of your favorite spices or using bacon oil instead of butter
2. Stuff your puff pastry – To make it extra comforting, completely engulf your salmon with cream cheese
3. Bake – This is when you cook your Salmon and pastry

How to Wrap Salmon Wellington

To save time, use a premade puff pastry. It makes this whole recipe more user friendly and quick to execute – just cut and assemble. Otherwise, you’d be stuck in the kitchen periodically over days, rolling and folding as you attempt making your own puff pastry.  Be sure that your pastry is at least 1/4 inch thick so that you don’t end up with a crispy crust or an underbaked crust. It’s typical to snip off the excess dough and tuck it under both sides of our Wellington but I left on the extra edge on two of them to see which one I preferred. You can try that as well, and see which one you prefer.

Finish decorating your Wellington by using a sharp paring knife to draw a crisscross pattern on the top surface of your dough taking care not to go too deep.  Use a pastry brush to coat the entire top and sides of the Wellington with the egg wash, then place in the upper third of your oven.

Equipment Used to Make This Salmon en Croute Recipe

Here’s a list of what I consider to be essential kitchen tools to make this recipe:

• Rolling pin
• Baking sheet
• Sharp knife
• Basting brush

Important Baking Information

This is where I wish there was a foolproof way to tell you how long to bake, so as to not over-bake or under-bake your Salmon en Croute. Here’s the general time, you want to bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit until the crust is golden brown, 20 minutes, give or take five minutes.

However, because each person’s oven is different in terms of temperature regulation and heat leakage, this is not the most reliable judge of me. That’s why I always recommend using a temperature probe. Check at fifteen minutes in and remove once your salmon hits 125 degrees Fahrenheit and leave to rest. The latent heat will finish it off.

After you remove your Wellingtons from the oven let them cool slightly before cutting into them. It is best served warm with a side of garden salad and fruity vinaigrette enjoy! This would make a delicious quick and easy weeknight dinner.

CHEF’S TIP: Can salmon wellington be made ahead?

Yes! You can prep these ahead of time and put them in your freezer until you’re ready to use-they’ll keep for about 2 months but ensure you vacuum seal them to minimize freezer burns. If you’re going to prep in advance and freeze, I’d also recommend you not brush the outside with egg wash until ready to bake.