Salmon en Croute with Watercress

Salmon on a bed of herbed cream cheese, wrapped in puff pastry: a deceptively simple recipe for a gourmet dish with an elegant presentation.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 976 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• ½ lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 cup watercress, or as desired
• 2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Place watercress in a sieve, pour boiling water over to wilt it, and drain on paper towels. Combine wilted watercress with lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix cream cheese, garlic, dill, and parsley together in a separate bowl.

Step 3

Roll out 2 puff pastry sheets gently on a work surface until slightly larger than length of salmon fillets; cut sheets in half. Place 1/2 watercress mixture in center of each sheet. Spread 1/2 cream cheese mixture over watercress. Center salmon fillets on top of cream cheese mixture; squeeze lemon juice over each.

Step 4

Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the egg. Fold top and bottom of pastry over the salmon; trim edges to remove excess pastry. Press pastry seams together with your fingers to seal. Transfer wrapped fillets, seam-side down, to baking sheet. Brush top with beaten egg.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.