by Elisabeth Duckeck
If you visit my website, you’ll notice that salmon is my favorite fish. I just love the texture and flavor, and there’s so much you can do with it.
You can call this dish also “Salmon en croûte“. Preparing this dish is incredibly easy. You can cook it in the oven or in the air fryer. Since it’s very filling, you don’t need a side dish.
Fresh or Frozen? Choosing Your Salmon
You can use fresh, skinless salmon fillet or frozen salmon fillet, which you can find in most supermarkets. I’ve tried both and they work well. Thaw the frozen salmon fillet thoroughly. Since these fillets are thinly sliced, you’ll need two fillets per person.
The Feta Factor: Tips for Flavor & Salt
If you—like my daughter—don’t like feta cheese, you can leave it out. It’s completely optional. Just add a little more salt to the spinach. In my opinion, feta cheese goes perfectly with spinach and salmon!
Be careful using salt in the spinach as the Feta cheese naturally comes with a lot of salt.
Ingredient Tips: Cream Cheese & Pastry
As salmon has a lot of (good) calories already I prefer to use light cream cheese. For those who don’t have to count, feel free to use the full fat version.
Also, make sure to remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let thaw overnight in the fridge.
Last but not least: The Perfect Seasoning
If you can’t find Herbes de Provence in your supermarket, try my Herbes de Provence spice blend. It’s easy to prepare and—to be honest—much cheaper than the ready-made blends. Most blends contain lavender, but I find it overpowering. Having lived in France for a while, I don’t remember ever finding lavender in this particular spice blend.
Quick Oven and Air Fryer Salmon Fillet with Spinach and Feta in Puff Pastry
Equipment
- 1 Baking tin when using the convection oven
What you need
For the spinach filling
- 350-400 gr (12-14 oz.) leaf spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 50 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp Herbs de Provence
- some salt
- some pepper
For the Feta stuffing
- 100 gr (3.5 oz.) Feta cheese (optional)
- 200 gr (7 oz.) light cream cheese
- 1-1½ Tbsp breadcrumbs
For the salmon fillets
- 4 fresh salmon fillets without skin (each 250 gr / appr. 9 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Some salt
- Some pepper
For the puff pastry
- 2 dough sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
How to prepare
- Preheat the oven on 180°C (350℉).
Preparing the filling:
- Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil until translucent. Add the spinach and sauté over medium heat until soft.350-400 gr (12-14 oz.) leaf spinach,1 small onion,1 tsp olive oil
- Deglaze with white wine and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, add the herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated.50 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine,1 Tbsp lemon juice,½ tsp Herbs de Provence,some salt,some pepper
- Crumble the feta cheese into a bowl and mix with the cream cheese. Add the mixture to the spinach. Stir well until everything forms a smooth sauce.100 gr (3.5 oz.) Feta cheese,200 gr (7 oz.) light cream cheese
- The filling for the puff pastry will now be quite runny. Add enough breadcrumbs until the filling has a creamy, slightly thick consistency. It's important that the filling isn't too runny, as otherwise the puff pastry will absorb it and won't crisp up after baking. The breadcrumbs will help absorb the liquid. Set aside to cool.1-1½ Tbsp breadcrumbs
Preparing the salmon fillets
- Wash the salmon fillets, pat dry with kitchen paper and drizzle with a little lemon juice on both sides, season with salt and pepper.4 fresh salmon fillets without skin,1 Tbsp lemon juice,Some salt,Some pepper
Assemble with the puff pastry
- Cut each puff pastry sheet in half (quarter if using the small fillets from the supermarket). Place a salmon fillet on each square, tucking in the thinner part of the fillet to ensure the fillets are roughly the same thickness.2 dough sheets puff pastry
- Spread some of the filling on top and along the long sides of the fish. Make sure there's enough filling for all four fillets. Fold the dough over it lengthwise by making small parcels. Then close the short sides and press them together firmly with a fork.
- Whisk the egg yolk and brush it over the top and sides of each parcel. Sprinkle with some white and black sesame seeds, if desired.1 egg yolk,1 tsp sesame seeds
- Cut several times (diagonally or crosswise) across the top of each parcel with a sharp knife. This is important to allow steam to escape and ensure the puff pastry becomes nice and crispy.
- Bake in a convection oven for 30-35 minutes or in an air fryer at 180°C (350℉)for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Loved this salmon recipe? Try out the traditional Greek octopus salad and follow this link to Fish dishes
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