Easy Salmon en Croûte
Serves 4.
Note: "I use lots of condiments, like mango chutney, curry pastes, black bean and teriyaki sauces, miso and pesto," writes Jamie Oliver in "7 Ways" (Flatiron Books, $35). "These are items you can find in all supermarkets, and of an extraordinary quality. They guarantee flavor and save hours of time in preparation."
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 lb. frozen spinach
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1- by 11-in.) sheet of all-butter puff pastry, cold
• 4 (4 1/2-oz.) salmon fillets, pin-boned and skin off
• 2 large eggs
• 1 heaping tbsp. red pesto
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover and cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and cook until all the liquid has cooked away, about 5 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Unroll the pastry and place it, still on its paper, in a baking pan. Spread spinach mixture over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around. Place the salmon fillets on top, 1/2-inch apart, then use the paper to help fold in the pastry edges to snugly encase the salmon, leaving it exposed at the top. Beat the eggs and use some to brush the exposed pastry, then bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the pesto into the remaining egg. When the salmon has baked for 15 minutes, remove pan from oven, pour egg mixture over the salmon and into the gaps. Return pan to oven and bake until pastry is golden and egg is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, for squeezing over.
