Salmon Wellington

I have been looking for some time now thru my pictures and saved recipes, to find the courage and inspiration to start this blog, trying to get over newbie's nerves and over my fixed ideas, displeased with my pictures and afraid of a mediocre posting. Browsing my folders, I finally decided to choose this salmon. Everybody in my family likes fish, but diferences appear when we have to say which fish we prefer and it definitelly matters how it's prepared. Clara and I have pretty similar tastes- we like the fish soup ( I am refering to the Romanian fish borsh), but only the broth, we like salmon as well as white flash fish, grilled, baked or seared. Gabi is more traditional, his first choice would always be fried fish, add some aioli - makes it better, would not crave or ask for salmon unless it is smoked or cured, and that Romanian fish borsh is always ideal and better with lots of fish heads (feel free to turn your head for a second, I feel the same ...), but the three of us like the same the dish called "saramura" (which I found on wikipedia translated as pickled fish - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_cuisine).
Too many personal info, isn't it? so I'll go back to the Wellington, actually to more taking about it than the recipe itself....
I heard of Wellington for the first time about 4 years ago, while watching "Hell's Kitchen" - Gordon Ramsey's show, anxious to see what challenges they had to face and imagining how I would do - dream on, dream on..... Theirs was made with beef, no mushroom stuffing or anything else, and I liked how beautiful the meat came out - medium rare, not overdone, no burnt pastry?!?! After "google-ing" (I think the Romanian version of this word sounds much better) I found the salmon version, which I liked so much that I never felt the need to try the beef one, and I am not sure when that would happen (not a big beef fan, could have steak once a year only without complaining).

Finally, the recipe, or better said the way I made it:
- one piece salmon (one pound and a half, cut lenghtwise in two) - a pound and a half spinach
- half an onion, small chop, divided in two
- one sheet puff pastry, cut in two (keep it in the fridge until ready to use it, otherwise would get too soft)
- 2/3 cup white wine (you know that rule with nothing that you would not drink, maybe the same you'll have for dinner)
- 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- a pinch saffron
- about a pound asparagus
- one egg to brush the pastry
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons oil ( I use either sunflower or canola, but you could use whatever you like)
- salt & pepper
- black & white sesame and course salt -to sprinkle on the pastry
- chives, chopped for plating
- 1/3 red bell pepper, finely diced for plating

I sauteed half of the chopped onion and the spinach in 2 tablespoons oil, until the spinach is wilted, then added the 2 tablespoons of cream and let it cook until the sauce evaporated, without leaving the spinach too dry.

I seasoned the fish with salt and lemon pepper, then seared it in a pan in 2 tablespoons of oil, only about 1 minute per side, long enough to have a crust which will not let any juices drip in the puff pastry later on. (Since the fish could be so easily overcooked due to the later baking ( see my photos!!!), you could skip this step and just pat dry the salmon.) If you sear it, take the salmon out on a paper towel to absorb any juices until ready to be used.

Preheat the oven at 400F (200C) and place the rack in the upper third of the oven. I rolled the puff pastry sheet on a chopping board and I pricked it with a fork all over to make sure it will raise evenly when baked. I brushed the edge with some egg wash, then I put one piece of fish over the pastry, topped it with half of the spinach and wrapped the pastry around, like a package. You could cut the edges around not to be more than 2/3 of a inch (1.5 cm) and press with the fork all around. (Or you could just put one edge underneath, kind of a roll). Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle some course salt and sesame on top. Place the packages on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake them for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

When the fish is done, take it out on a cooling rack and let it stand for about 10 minutes, so you could slice it nicely, without crushing the pastry and flaking the fish too much (once again, see photo!!)

In a separate dish put the asparagus, drizzled with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper and roast it for 10-15 minutes, same temperature, 400F.

For the sauce: saute the rest of the onion in 2 tablespoons butter and when golden add the wine, let it simmer until reduce by half, then add the cream and once again let it reduce by half. Take it away from the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper, add the saffron, then the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Strain the sauce and put it aside until ready to serve.

As far as the plating, it’s up to your imagination. I placed the asparagus on the bottom, as a fan, then two slices of Wellington on top, sauce on the side and some chives and bell pepper sprinkled around.

hhhmmmm..... This is it, hope I started with the right foot.

Somon Wellington (versiunea romana)

Am cautat in lung si in lat prin toate pozele si retetele mele sa prind curaj si sa postez pentru prima data, incercand sa trec peste tracul incepatorului si peste ideile mele fixe. Asa m-am oprit asupra somonului asta, si in sfarsit m-am decis.

Ne place pestele tuturor din casa, numai ca nu la toti preparat la fel si nu la toti acelasi fel de peste. Eu si Clara suntem pe aceeasi pagina - ne place ciorba de peste, dar numai zeama, ne place somonul si pestele alb, ne place facut la gratar, la cuptor sau in tigaie. Gabi e mai traditionalist, prima alegere ar fi intotdeauna pestele prajit, cu mujdei eventual, si nu ar alege somon decat daca e afumat, probabil, si ciorba de peste e atat de buna cu multe capatani (puteti face linistiti fata verde, o am si eu chiar acum ...), dar facem toti trei front comun la saramura.

Prea multe detalii, asa ca revin la Wellington, de fapt la alta vorbarie legata de reteta. Prima data am auzit de Wellington la "Hell's Kitchen" - show-ul lui Gordon Ramsey, in urma cu cateva sezoane, cand il urmaream. Ei il faceau pe cel original cu vita, si fara alte umpluturi in aluat, si ma tot minunam ce frumos iese carnea, facuta suficient fara sa arda aluatul si fara sa fie prea in sange. Dupa "google-itul" de rigoare, am gasit varianta cu peste, care mi-a placut atat de mult incat pe cea cu vita nu am incercat-o niciodata si nici nu ma imbie (nu sunt mare fan carne vita).

In sfasit, reteta, sau mai bine spus ce si cum am facut eu:

- un file somon (500 gr, taiat in doua pe lung)

- 700 g spanac

- o ceapa medie tocata marunt, impartita in doua

- aluat pt. pateuri (se tine la frigider pana e nevoie de el, ca sa fie usor de folosit), taiat in doua

- o ceasca de vin alb

-o ceasca plus 2 linguri de smantana dulce

- safron

- 500 g sparanghel

- un ou batut pt. uns aluatul

- 50 g unt
- 4 linguri ulei

Condimente:

sare, piper, seminte de susan alb si negru, sare de mare (grunjoasa)

iarba ciorii (chives in engleza)

ardei rosu taiat marunt pt. decor

Am sotat spanacul cu jumatate din ceapa tocata in 2 linguri de ulei, numai cat sa fie oparit. Se adauga sare si piper dupa gust si 2 linguri smantana dulce (sa-l faca mai cremos) si se mai tine pe foc pana nu mai ramane sos aproape deloc, dar sa nu fie nici uscat.

Am condimentat pestele cu sare si piper cu lamaie, apoi l-am pus in tigaie cu 2 linguri de ulei numai cat sa prinda o crusta care sa-l impiedice sa lase apa in aluat. Pasul asta poate fi sarit daca pestele e sters bine, pentru ca altfel o sa fie prea uscat la sfarsit daca e prajit prea mult acum.Se incalzeste cuptorul la 400F (200C). Se lasa pestele sa se raceasca pe un servet de hartie care sa absoarba sucul lasat. Se aseaza o foaie de aluat pe tocator si se inteapa cu furculita ca sa creasca uniform la copt. Se aseaza o bucata de peste pe aluat, deasupra se pune jumatate din spanac, se uda marginile foii si se impatureste aluatul ca sa faca un pachetel. Se taie marginile cam la 1.5 cm si se apasa cu furculita sa se uneasca. ( Sau se poate trece marginea pe dedesubt, ca sa formeze un fel de rulou). Se unge aluatul cu ou, apoi se presara sare grunjoasa si seminte de susan.

Se pune intr-o tava pe hartie de copt si se pune la cuptor pt. 25-30 minute sau pana e auriu. Gratarul sa fie in prima treime de sus a cuptorului, ca sa nu se arda. Cand e gata, se scoate si se lasa la racit, ca sa se taie feliile frumos, fara se faramiteze.

Separat se pune sparanghelul stropit cu putin ulei, sare si piper la cuptor (la aceeasi temperatura) timp de 10-12 minute.

Intre timp se caleste cealalta jumatate de ceapa in putin unt si se stinge cu vinul, care se lasa sa fiarba pana se reduce la jumatate, apoi se adauga o ceasca de smantana dulce, sare si piper, si se lasa sa fiarba pana se reduce din nou la jumatate. Se da la o parte, se adauga un varf de cutit de sofran (sau cateva fire) si doua lingurite de unt. Prezentarea in farfurie dupa imaginatia si placul bucatarului. Eu am asezat cateva fire de sparanghel si peste el 2 felii de somon, iar pe langa putin sos si ardei si chives pentru decor.

Si cu asta gata primul post si sper ca am inceput cu dreptul.