Daring Cooks December Challenge

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking . Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online .

This was a simple challenge for me but fun none the less. Bake something in pastry. As long as it's not watery, everything should go just fine, right?

A few tips before the recipe are:

• Do not use pie pastry
• Make sure the pastry is chilled
• Try to keep the fish (if using) chilled right up until you use it
• Although the recipe doesn't say it, you can season your meat of choice (or tofu)

Ingredients for short crust pastry

• 2 C flour
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter chilled and cut-up
• 4 T chilled shortening
• Slightly less then 1/2 C ice water

Method for short pastry

1. Place the flour, salt, butter, and shortening in a large mixing bowl. Rub the fat and flour together quickly with your fingertips until the fat is broken into pieces about the size of peas. Make sure not to over incorporate the fat!
2. Add the water and blend quickly with one hand or a wooden spoon. Sprinkle on more water as needed. You want the dough to just hold together. Form in to a firm ball that is pliable but not sticky.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. With the heel of one hand, rapidly press the pastry down the work surface, blending the butter in more thoroughly. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill until ready to use.

Ingredients for the Salmon en Croute

• 1 lb salmon ( I used a skin on fillet)
• 5 oz cream cheese softened
• 5 oz watercress, spinach, and arugula mix (I used spinach and parsley)
• ( I used a lemon as well)
• salt and pepper

Method for Salmon en Croute

1. I par cooked the salmon first to get the skin off easier. I set up my steam pot with slices of lemon on the bottom of the basket for the salmon to rest on. I then cut the salmon into four serving size pieces and steamed them for 3 minutes. I then removed the skin. You don't have to do this step, I just think the skin is gross.
2. Mix together the cream cheese and the greens and set aside. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Roll out four pieces of the pastry large enough to completely cover the pieces of fish.
3. Put a piece of fish in the middle of the pastry. Spread some of the cream cheese mixture onto the fish and wrap securely in the pastry. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 F and bake for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is brown.

You now have yourself an easy elegant looking meal! I served mine with gratin savoyard.

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