Salmon Wellington (Puff Pastry Salmon)
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When you really want to pull out something impressive for dinner, wrap this easy Salmon Wellington (Puff Pastry Salmon) ahead and bake it to perfection.
Salmon Wellington is a fantastic dish when you want something stunning but with little effort. Perfectly cooked salmon sitting on a bed of garlicky and cheesy sauteed spinach and encased in golden, crispy, and flaky pastry.
It looks fancy, but it is surprisingly easy to make! I used store-bought puff pastry sheets to make it extra easy and convenient. Folding the puff pastry to wrap the salmon is straightforward. The filling also comes together in just a few minutes.
Whether you are cooking for yourself or want to impress your guests, this Salmon Wellington will surely be a crowd-pleaser. Make it ahead for a special brunch or dinner, or holidays like Christmas or Easter, and bake it right before serving.
Origin of Salmon Wellington
Salmon Wellington is also called “salmon en croute“. En croute is the French term for anything that gets wrapped in pastry dough and baked. It is a savory dish featuring seasoned skinless salmon fillet layered with a creamy vegetable filling, typically spinach, cream cheese, or mushroom duxelles. All wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked until golden brown.
The origin of salmon Wellington dates back to Tudor England (mid 1400s to early 1600s). Beef Wellington (which is a fillet of beef coated with pâté and mushroom duxelles, then wrapped in Parma ham, then wrapped in puff pastry, and baked) was an incredibly popular dish among the higher classes. Larger groups began to experiment with other types of protein that were more plentiful and affordable, like salmon or chicken.
Ingredients You Need
- Puff pastry. I used store-bought frozen puff pastry. Thaw the sheets on the counter before using to get them pliable.
- Salmon fillets. Use thick fillets. Be sure they are skinless and boneless.
- Unsalted butter. To saute the aromatics for the filling.
- Garlic. To enhance the flavor and add a garlicky flavor.
- Onion. It builds a rich flavor and creates natural sweetness.
- Spinach. You will need to saute the spinach first with butter, garlic, and onion until it is wilted and shrinks in size.
- Cream cheese. Bring to room temperature before using it for easy mixing. It acts as an adhesive agent to hold together the filling.
- Parmesan cheese. This will add a great umami flavor to the filling.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- Egg. For egg wash. Brush an egg wash over the top of the puff pastry to get that nice golden brown puff pastry.
How to Make Salmon Wellington
- Saute the spinach. Stir-fry garlic and onion with butter until fragrant. Add spinach and cook until it is wilted.
- Make the filling. Mix the sauteed spinach with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Assemble. Cut the puff pastry and roll thinly. Place the salmon at the center of the pastry. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Top with spinach filling. Fold the pastry over the salmon. Flip the whole bundle over so that the spinach mixture is now on the bottom.
- Decorate. For a better presentation, I create a simple latticework from the remaining puff pastry dough on top. You can cut the pattern with a tool called a lattice cutter for convenience. But if you do not have one, you can alternatively use a sharp knife to cut 2.5cm/1-inch slits in staggered rows 1cm/1.5-inch apart. Gently pull the pastry so that the slits open up and a lattice shape is shown. If you want to make something simpler, you can simply score the top of the puff pastry with a sharp knife. Just make sure not to cut too deeply when doing the scoring. Brush the top with egg wash right before baking.
- Bake until the salmon is cooked through, and the puff pastry is light golden brown.
Make Ahead
You can make Salmon Wellington ahead of time by assembling the entire dish up to 24 hours in advance (without the egg wash) and keeping it unbaked in the refrigerator. Don’t store for more than 1 day, as it will make the dough soggy. When you are ready to bake, brush with egg and bake as directed.
You can also prep the spinach filling the day before and then assemble the entire dish right before baking.
More Puff Pastry Recipes
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry
- Maple Pecan Puff Pastry
- Sfogliatine Glassate (Glazed Puff Pastry)
- Puff Pastry Palmier Cookies
- Apple Cinnamon Puff Pastry
- Puff Pastry Korean Sausage Bread
Ingredients
Spinach Cream Cheese Filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 bunch (150 gr) spinach
- 4 oz (110 gr) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (20 gr) grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salmon Wellington
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 fillets (250 gr) salmon, skinned
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
Spinach Cream Cheese Filling
- Preheat a frying pan over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the cooked spinach to a bowl. Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
Salmon Wellington
- Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Sprinkle a little bit of flour on the cutting board and rolling pin. Place a sheet of puff pastry on the cutting board. Cut a third of the puff pastry and set aside for the latticework on top.
- Roll the two-third puff pastry thinly with a rolling pin. Place a salmon fillet in the middle. Place half of the spinach cream cheese on top of the salmon.
- Brush the beaten egg on the sides of the pastry. Fold the edges of the puff pastry over the salmon and spinach. Fold the ends on top. Transfer to the baking sheet, seam-side down, making sure the spinach is below the salmon.
- Repeat the steps and make another salmon puff pastry with the remaining salmon fillet.
- Place the remaining one-third puff pastry on the cutting board. Using a lattice cutter, roll over the pastry, or alternatively use a sharp knife to cut 2.5cm/1-inch slits in staggered rows 1cm/0.5-inch apart. Gently pull the pastry so that the slits open up and a lattice shape is shown.
- Brush the beaten egg on the top and sides of the salmon puff pastry. Carefully lay the lattice-cut layer of pastry on top. Seal the edges by pressing down, then brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
