Easy
   Gourmet Dinners

Salmon en Croute with Tarragon Cream Sauce

          Preparation and cooking time:35 minutes
     Cooking a whole salmon in puff pastry is a classic party dish.  This is a scaled down version for individual servings.  For a dinner party they can be assembled ahead and baked at the last minute.  The salmon stays moist and perfectly flaky.  I've given the dimensions used in the photos.  If your salmon is a different shape, you need enough pastry to cover it. Trim any excess. 
Yes, It's a bit indulgent - but we all need that occasionally

2 pieces of salmon, skinned - about 3" wide by 4" long by 1" thick (5cm X 10cm x 2.5 cm)        350gr, 12.5oz
1 large or 2 small sheets of puff pastry        246gr, 8.7oz
2 tsp dried or fresh dill weed
4 tsp whole grain mustard          20gr, .7oz

Lightly roll puff pastry dough if needed.  It needs to be just large enough to cover the salmon with an overlap of 1/2 - 1 inch (1.25 - 2.5cm).   Lightly cover an area roughly the size of the salmon with dill.  Skin salmon if needed, and cut/trim.  Place salmon on top of dill.  Spread 2 tsp mustard on the salmon. 
Depending on the shape of your fish you can bring opposite corners together (if it's square-ish) or fold over (if it's long-ish).  Press the meeting edges of the puff pastry together to seal.  It's okay if there are gaps in the 'package' as long as the pastry is sealed together enough to hold it's shape as it bakes.  Repeat with the other piece of salmon. 
Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 - 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. 
Remove and serve with Tarragon Cream Sauce on the side.

Tarragon Cream Sauce 

1/3 cup chicken stock less 2 tbs          75gr, 2.65oz
1/3 cup white wine           75gr, 2.65oz
1 shallot          45gr, 1.6oz
1 tbs butter          14.2gr, .5oz
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon   substitute 1 tbs fresh
1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs stock        8gr, .3oz
1/3 cup Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or sour cream         100gr, 3.5oz  Greek Yogurt

Finely chop shallots.  In small saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots in butter until tender.  Add tarragon, wine and stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Mix cornstarch in 2 tbs stock and stir into simmering stock.  Cook until thickened - should be quite thick.  Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.  Cover and keep warm until serving.

Note:  Puff pastry can be found in either the refrigerator or freezer section.  You will want 2 sheets about 9 inches square. If they are not big enough you can roll them out a bit (using a rolling pin). 

Note 2:  There are 1020 calories and 85 carbs in 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.  The nutrition info assumes that is what is used, in it's entirety.

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Nutrition Information               Recipe serves 2            Entire Recipe / per serving Calories:  2118 / 1059 Total Carbohydrates:  107 / 53.5           Dietary Fiber: 7 / 3.5 Total Fat:  135 / 67.5          Saturated Fat: 42 / 21 Cholesterol:  245 / 122.5 Protein:  96 / 48 Calcium:  249 / 124.5 Sodium:   1800 / 900

General Technical Details and Disclaimer:

Measurements in this color are actual measurements used for calculation.  If there are no values the nutritional numbers were simply too small.

I try to be accurate, but I do not guarantee it.  I use 'grams' as the unit of weight; with an approximate conversion to ounces.

My information comes from my own digital, computerized scale and the USDA Nutrient Data Library: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/