Recipe: Salmon Wellington

Salmon Wellington
Source: Western Living, November, 1983/Ron Whitehouse
Serves four generously

SALMON LAYERS
2 lbs salmon fillets
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Divide salmon into two portions of 1 1/2 and one-half pounds and put the smaller portion through a meat grinder or chop finely, then blend with whipping cream, salt and pepper. Cut the larger portion into very thin slices.

ONION LAYER
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, minced

Melt butter in a frying pan and saute onion until soft but not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

MUSHROOM LAYERS
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of finely ground pepper

Prepare beurre mani by combining flour, butter. Salt and pepper. Blend
well.

1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Melt butter in a frying pan and saute mushrooms. Add whipping cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the beurre mani and simmer for five minutes. Add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Final Assembly
2 pkgs (7-oz each) puff pastry, enough for a 2-crust pie
5 hard-cooked eggs, halved lengthwise
1 egg, beaten

Roll out puff pastry into two pieces, each 12 by 6 inches. Place one piece on a buttered baking sheet. Along the centre of the pastry, arrange a layer of half the salmon slices. Top with the sauted onions, then with half of the mushroom mixture. Cover with remaining salmon slices. Top with two rows of hard cooked egg halves. Spread with remaining mushroom mixture. Cover with minced salmon mixture.

Place the second piece of pastry over the layers, brush the edges with beater, and seal well. Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg and use a fork to punch several holes in the pastry in a decorative pattern.

Preheat oven to 400F and bake for 25 minutes. Make sherry mushroom cream sauce (see recipe below) to accompany this dish.

Sherry-Mushroom Cream Sauce
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup light cream
2 tbsp whipping cream
2 tbsp sherry
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute mushrooms for two to three minutes. Stir in flour, then gradually pour in the light cream stirring continuously over medium heat until thickened. Stir in the whipping cream and sherry, and season with salt and pepper to taste.