Magical Salmon: Delicious Dinner Turns to Gourmet Breakfast Right Before Your Eyes!

Babe and I hosted Thanksgiving at our home again this year as it is our favorite holiday and I love to cook. This year, however, I decided to make an entree that our non-turkey gobblers could enjoy. The dish went over so well that we brought the leftovers to an extended family party the next day. Everyone loved it so much that I figured I would share the recipe:

Salmon en Croute
Serves 4

Ingredients for the Salmon

4 individual salmon fillets, skinned
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 container of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tbs cream cheese
1 tbs butter
1 tbs truffle oil (olive oil can be used as a substitute)
Egg wash ( 1 egg and 1 tbs of water beaten together)
2 boxes of frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed)

Directions

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees
2. Add butter and truffle or olive oil to large saute pan
3. Saute shallots and garlic for about a minute on medium heat then add mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms start to give off liquid then add pan contents to food processor.
4. Add spinach to now empty saute pan and return to heat until spinach is cooked. Add spinach to food processor.
5. Add cream cheese to food processor and pulse until a chunky paste forms.
6. Salt and pepper salmon fillets and add a drizzle of olive oil to same saute pan used earlier. Saute the salmon until just slightly cooked on the outsides (you want it to be rare as it will continue to cook in oven)
7. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick and lay out puff pastry sheets. You will use one sheet (cut in half) per fillet.
8. Spoon about 2 tbs of the mixture from food processor onto one halved sheet then place salmon on top and cover with other halved sheet. Press sides to seal and brush egg wash on top. Repeat for remaining fillets.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastries start to turn golden-brown in color.

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce

1 cup sour cream
1 tbs fresh chopped dill plus some for garnish
1 tsp mustard
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions for Dipping Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients and garnish with chopped dill


Stumped for what to make Christmas morning? Here is a simple way to turn it into an elegant brunch dish:

Salmon en Croute with Poached Egg and Sherry Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4 Eggs
1/2 cup Sherry
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp paprika
2 tbs minced onion
2 tbs butter

Directions

1. Press top of salmon en croute to create a divot to place poach egg so it wont roll off and poach four eggs to preference.
2. In a sauce pan over medium/low heat, add 1 tbs butter and onions
3. Once onions turn translucent, add sherry and let reduce to half
4. Add cream and let thicken then add paprika
5. Add tbs of butter and let sit over low heat. Salt/pepper to taste.
6. Top salmon en croute with poached egg and then spoon sauce over top.

If you don't have the ingredients or time to make the sherry cream sauce, you can turn this dish into a creative Eggs Benedict and make hollandaise sauce out of the packet. I always keep a couple of the McCormick brand handy. It is a delicious mix and a huge time saver.

Enjoy!