Cheat’s Salmon Coulibiac
This classic dish featured in the Arles episode of James Martin’s French Adventure and is perfect when partnered with glass of beautiful French rosé wine.
8-10
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 250g spinach leaves
- 2 x 375g packets all-butter puff pastry
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 1 whole salmon (approximately 3kg/6lb 12oz), skin scaled and removed, gutted, pin boned and filleted, and cut in half (alternatively use ready prepared sides of salmon)
- 3 free-range egg yolks, beaten
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the parsley sauce:
- 25g butter
- 15g flour
- 300ml milk
- Parsley
- 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- Squeeze of lemon juice
To serve:
- 1kg/2lb 4oz cooked, buttered new potatoes
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200℃/400℉/Gas Mark 6.
Heat the frying pan on a medium, add the butter and then wilt the spinach leaves and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out the liquid. Chill in the fridge.
Roll out both pieces of pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to create two rectangles about 5cm/2in longer and wider than the salmon fillets.
Place one sheet of pastry onto a large flat baking tray and lay one salmon fillet on top, flesh side up. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Top the salmon fillet with the spinach, then lay the second salmon fillet on top of that, flesh side down, pressing down gently.
Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg yolk. Carefully roll the second sheet of pastry onto the coulibiac using a rolling pin to transfer it. Press the edges of each sheet of pastry together to seal and crimp at the edges. Trim the excess pastry off.
Brush the surface of the pastry parcel all over with the remaining beaten egg yolk. Using a parisienne scoop or melon baller indent the top of the pastry at intervals to make marks resembling fish scales.
Bake the salmon coulibiac for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6 and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon fillets are just cooked through and the pastry is risen and golden-brown.
Remove the salmon coulibiac from the oven and transfer it to a serving platter. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into slices at the table.
To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter until foaming, whisk in the flour and gradually add the milk. Season and then stir in the parsley and mustard at the last minute.
Serve with buttered new potatoes and the parsley sauce.
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 250g spinach leaves
- 2 x 375g packets all-butter puff pastry
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 1 whole salmon (approximately 3kg/6lb 12oz), skin scaled and removed, gutted, pin boned and filleted, and cut in half (alternatively use ready prepared sides of salmon)
- 3 free-range egg yolks, beaten
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the parsley sauce:
- 25g butter
- 15g flour
- 300ml milk
- Parsley
- 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- Squeeze of lemon juice
To serve:
- 1kg/2lb 4oz cooked, buttered new potatoes
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200℃/400℉/Gas Mark 6.
Heat the frying pan on a medium, add the butter and then wilt the spinach leaves and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out the liquid. Chill in the fridge.
Roll out both pieces of pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to create two rectangles about 5cm/2in longer and wider than the salmon fillets.
Place one sheet of pastry onto a large flat baking tray and lay one salmon fillet on top, flesh side up. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Top the salmon fillet with the spinach, then lay the second salmon fillet on top of that, flesh side down, pressing down gently.
Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg yolk. Carefully roll the second sheet of pastry onto the coulibiac using a rolling pin to transfer it. Press the edges of each sheet of pastry together to seal and crimp at the edges. Trim the excess pastry off.
Brush the surface of the pastry parcel all over with the remaining beaten egg yolk. Using a parisienne scoop or melon baller indent the top of the pastry at intervals to make marks resembling fish scales.
Bake the salmon coulibiac for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6 and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon fillets are just cooked through and the pastry is risen and golden-brown.
Remove the salmon coulibiac from the oven and transfer it to a serving platter. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into slices at the table.
To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter until foaming, whisk in the flour and gradually add the milk. Season and then stir in the parsley and mustard at the last minute.
Serve with buttered new potatoes and the parsley sauce.
This recipe is from the book:
James Martin’s French Adventure
“Some thirty years since Floyd on France first screened, the chance to follow in his footsteps and, to return to the places that have shaped my own life and career was too good to resist. I hope this book will give you a small taste of what I learnt and the things I discovered on my French adventure, and that you’ll enjoy the trip as much as I did!”
- James
- James
