Salmon En Croute With Tarragon Cream Sauce
This recipe creates an elegant Salmon En Croute, featuring salmon fillets generously coated with mustard and dill, then wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked to golden perfection. It's served with a vibrant tarragon cream sauce made with shallots, white wine, chicken stock, and Greek yogurt, offering a sophisticated main course.
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet Lined with parchment paper
- 1 Small Saucepan For the tarragon cream sauce
- 1 Rolling Pin To roll out puff pastry
- 1 Sharp Knife For prepping salmon and pastry
- 1 Whisk For making the sauce
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pieces of salmon skinned - about 3" wide by 4" long by 1" thick (5cm 10cm x 2.5 cm), 350gr, 12.5oz
- 1 large or 2 small sheets of puff pastry 246gr, 8.7oz
- 2 teaspoons dried or fresh dill weed
- 4 teaspoons whole grain mustard 20gr, .7oz
- cup chicken stock 75gr, 2.65oz
- cup white wine 75gr, 2.65oz
- 1 shallot finely chopped, 45gr, 1.6oz
- 1 tablespoon butter 14.2gr, .5oz
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water 8gr, .3oz
- cup Greek yogurt crème fraiche or sour cream, 100gr, 3.5oz Greek
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat salmon pieces dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread each with whole grain mustard and sprinkle with dill weed.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheets to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3mm) and cut into two rectangles large enough to enclose each salmon piece.
- Place a salmon piece on one half of each pastry rectangle, then fold the other half over the salmon. Seal the edges firmly, trimming excess pastry if necessary, and place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and the salmon is cooked through.
- While the salmon bakes, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the finely chopped shallot until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and dried tarragon, simmering for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch dissolved in water and slowly add it to the simmering sauce, whisking constantly until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Remove from heat, then whisk in the Greek yogurt (or crème fraiche/sour cream) until smooth. Do not boil after adding the yogurt.
- Serve the baked Salmon En Croute immediately, with a generous drizzle of the warm tarragon cream sauce.
Notes
1. Ensure your puff pastry is very cold when working with it to maintain its flakiness. Minimal handling is key to prevent butter from melting. You can score the top of the pastry lightly for a decorative finish, and an egg wash will give it a beautiful golden sheen. 2. Do not overcook the salmon. It will continue to cook slightly from residual heat after removal from the oven. Aim for an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for a moist, flaky result. 3. For the tarragon cream sauce, reduce the wine and chicken stock significantly to concentrate flavors before thickening. Gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry to avoid lumps, and incorporate the Greek yogurt off the heat or at a very low simmer to prevent curdling. Fresh tarragon can replace dried for a brighter flavor.