Salmon Wellington with Dill Crêpes, Spinach & Mushroom Duxelles

⏱ 150 min · Serves 6

A proper show-stopper: a whole side of salmon wrapped in lacy dill crêpes, a garlicky spinach and mushroom duxelles, and burnished golden puff pastry. The crêpes are the secret — they soak up any juices so the pastry stays shatteringly crisp right down to the base. Slice at the table and listen for the gasp.

Per serving: 812 kcal · 45.0g protein · 47.0g carbs · 48.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 side of salmon, skinned and pin-boned, about 900g, evenly thick
• 500g all-butter puff pastry
• 2 egg yolks beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for glazing
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• For the dill crêpes:
• 70g plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 150ml whole milk
• 15g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• Pinch of salt
• For the duxelles:
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 30g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 75ml dry white wine
• 300g baby spinach
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp chopped dill
• Salt and black pepper
• To serve: lemon wedges and 150ml crème fraîche mixed with dill and capers

Method

1. Make the crêpe batter: whisk flour, egg, milk, melted butter, dill and salt until smooth. Rest 20 minutes.
2. Cook 3–4 thin crêpes in a lightly oiled 24cm pan, about 1 minute per side. Cool flat on a rack.
3. Wilt the spinach in a dry hot pan, tip into a colander, cool, then squeeze out every drop of water. Chop roughly.
4. For the duxelles, fry shallots in butter and oil for 4 minutes, add mushrooms and cook over high heat for 10–12 minutes until dry and nutty. Add garlic, then the wine and cook until fully evaporated.
5. Off the heat stir in the spinach, crème fraîche, lemon zest and dill. Season well and chill completely — it must be cold and dry.
6. Season the salmon all over. On baking paper, overlap the crêpes into a rectangle a little larger than the fish. Spread half the duxelles over the middle, lay the salmon on top, then press the rest of the duxelles over the fish.
7. Use the paper to roll the crêpes snugly around the salmon. Chill 20 minutes.
8. Roll the pastry to roughly 35 x 40cm. Sit the crêpe-wrapped salmon in the centre, brush the pastry borders with egg wash and fold over, trimming excess and sealing the seam underneath.
9. Place seam-side down on a lined tray, brush all over with egg wash and chill 30 minutes. Heat oven to 200C fan / 220C.
10. Brush with a second coat of egg wash, score a delicate diagonal lattice with the back of a knife, sprinkle with flaky salt.
11. Bake 30–35 minutes until deep golden and the centre reads 48–50C on a probe. Rest 10 minutes, then slice thickly with a serrated knife and serve with the dill-caper crème fraîche and lemon.