Salmon en Croûte with Dill Cream Sauce

For the Cure

25g Sea Salt

20g Soft Light Brown Sugar

1  unwaxed Lemon, zest

2 x 500g Fillets of Salmon

For the Filling

1 Garlic Clove

25g Coriander

25g Parsley

2  preserved Lemons

¼ Tsp Ground Cumin

50ml Olive Oil

½ Tsp Chilli Flakes,

80g Spinach

125g Mascarpone

½  Lemon, juice

For the Pastry

Plain flour, for rolling

500g Puff Pastry

1 Medium Egg, beaten

For the Dill Cream Sauce 

300ml Double Cream

200ml White Wine 

1 Shallot, diced

10g Unsalted Butter

10g Parsley, chopped

10g Dill, chopped

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

½ Lemon

Sea Salt and frshly ground Black Pepper

Prepare the cure the day before by combining the Salt, Sugar and Lemon zest in a small bowl

Remove the skin from both Salmon fillets

Place the Salmon into a shallow bowl and rub both pieces with the cure

Cover with baking parchment or foil, then weigh it down with a couple of cans and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight

Place the Garlic in a food blender

Tear in the Coriander and Parsley and blend until finely chopped

Remove and discard the seeds from the preserved Lemons and add what’s left to the mixture with the Cumin, Olive Oil and Chilli Flakes

Blitz again until well combined, then tip into a mixing bowl

Finely chop the Spinach and add to the herby paste with the Mascarpone and Lemon juice

Stir well, then set aside

Remove the Salmon from the fridge, drain the liquid and rinse well to remove the cure

Pat dry using kitchen paper

Line a baking tray with baking parchment

Lightly flour the work surface and cut ⅔ of the pastry block

Roll it out into a rectangle large enough to fully wrap around the Salmon

Place 1 Salmon Fillet into the centre, then top with the filling

Sandwich the second fillet on top, stacking the thinner end with the thickest part of the bottom layer to create an even-shaped block

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten Egg

Fold the long sides around the pastry, pinching underneath to create a seam, then fold the short ends up to create a parcel

Flip over and place onto the lined tray.

Using the remaining Pastry, create a lattice

Brush the top with beaten Egg, then stretch the lattice to fully cover the top

Brush again with Egg, then chill until the pastry is firm

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown all over and cooked through

Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve

For the Dill Cream Sauce 

Heat some Butter in a pan and fry the diced Shallot

Add the White Wine and bring it to a simmer, allowing it to cook down by half

Turn down the heat and add the Cream, before bringing it back to a simmering point

Simmer carefully for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously before adding the Dijon Mustard 

Remove from the heat and add the Lemon juice, Herbs, Salt and Pepper just before serving