Organic Irish Salmon en Croûte

Thu, 12 November 2026

Organic Irish Salmon en Croûte with spinach and mushroom cream cheese and chervil beurre blanc

Organic Irish salmon filled with spinach, chestnut mushrooms and herb cream cheese, wrapped in crisp all-butter puff pastry. Serve with a buttery chervil sauce for a festive centrepiece.

Serves 6 • Prep 35 minutes, plus cooling and 20–30 minutes chilling

Cook 40–50 minutes • Rest 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

15g butter
250g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50ml dry white wine
200g baby spinach
250g full-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp finely chopped chervil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1–2 tsp lemon juice, to taste
Small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salmon and pastry

2 matching skinless, pin-boned organic Irish salmon fillets, about 500g each
750g all-butter puff pastry, including lattice
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chervil beurre blanc

1 small shallot, finely chopped
100ml dry white wine
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp double cream
200g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 tbsp finely chopped chervil
Lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1 Make the filling

Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until coloured and their moisture has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Leave to cool completely.

Wilt the spinach in a separate pan with a splash of water. Cool, squeeze thoroughly dry and chop. Fold into the cream cheese with the cooled mushrooms, dill, chervil, lemon zest, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, then chill.

2 Prepare the salmon

Pat the salmon dry. To even out any thick sections, carefully butterfly each fillet: cut horizontally from the centre towards the outer edge without cutting all the way through, then gently open it out. Aim for two evenly thick pieces. Season both with salt and pepper.

3 Wrap in pastry

Roll out the main portion of pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick, large enough to enclose the salmon. Reserve a separate piece for the lattice. Place one fillet in the centre, spread the filling over it and lay the second fillet on top.

Brush the pastry edges with egg wash, fold around the salmon and seal well. Trim excess pastry to avoid thick overlaps. Transfer, seam-side down, to a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

4 Add the lattice and chill

Roll out the reserved pastry, run a lattice cutter over it and gently stretch it open. Brush the parcel lightly with egg wash, lay the lattice over the top and trim neatly at the base. Chill for 20–30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6.

5 Bake

Brush the chilled pastry and lattice with egg wash, avoiding pools in the openings. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp and the salmon is cooked through at the centre. The timing depends on the thickness of the parcel. Cover loosely with foil if the top colours too quickly.

6 Make the chervil beurre blanc

While the salmon bakes, simmer the shallot, wine and vinegar in a small saucepan until about 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Add the cream and simmer briefly. Turn the heat very low and gradually whisk in the cold butter, a few cubes at a time, until smooth and glossy. Do not let the sauce boil once the butter is added.

Strain if you prefer a smooth sauce. Season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Keep gently warm and stir in the chervil just before serving.

7 Rest and serve

Rest the en croûte for 10 minutes before carving. Use a sharp serrated knife with a gentle sawing action for neat slices. Serve the sauce alongside or beneath the salmon to keep the pastry crisp.

Our Christmas shop is now open, with this organic Irish salmon en croûte and lots more available to order for the Christmas table. www.klaw.ie