Chez Manon by Manon Lagréve (Quadrille, £26)
Photography © Nassima Rothacker, Jacqui Melville

Salmon en Croûte

I created this recipe for my appearance on UK TV show The Great British Bake Off’s ‘The Great New Year Bake Off 2023’, and everyone loved it! I made a slightly different version for the book and tested it with my family as a celebration meal, and they really enjoyed it. It looks fancy and complicated, but it isn’t. Let’s impress your guests together!

INGREDIENTS – Serves 6

1 large whole salmon fillet

400g (14oz) smoked salmon

1 bunch of fresh spinach leaves

500g (1lb 2oz) ready-made shortcrust pastry

a little plain (all-purpose) flour for dusting

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling

1 shallot

1 bunch of dill

1 bunch of parsley

2 tbsp capers

zest and juice of 1 lemon 240g (81/2oz) cream cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (200°C/400°F/gas 6).

To make the filling, you can use a food processor or finely chop the shallot, dill, parsley and capers. Then add the lemon zest and its juice, then finish with the cream cheese. Set aside in the fridge.

To prepare the salmon fillet, use a sharp knife to remove the skin, cutting between the skin and the salmon as close to the skin as possible, pulling the skin aside. Slice the fillet lengthways from the middle, but only cutting to three-quarters on the inside, leaving 1–2cm (1/2–3/4in) of fillet still attached. Set aside.

Lay some clingfilm (plastic wrap) on your worktop and shape the smoked salmon into a rectangle in the middle. Top it with the salmon fillet, opening it up to create a large rectangle.

Spread the filling on top of the salmon, then gently roll just the salmon and the filling together, and use the clingfilm to help you cover the roll neatly with the smoked salmon. Twist the clingfilm to tighten the roll. Keep in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Flour your worktop then use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a large rectangle 2–3mm thick. Remove the roulade from the clingfilm and place it in the middle of the pastry.

Brush some beaten egg on the pastry to help the layers to stick together, cut off the excess pastry and close the roll around the salmon roulade.

You can use some cutters to decorate your roulade with the leftover pastry, or simply use scissors to create little spikes on the surface.

Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg. Cook for 20–25 minutes, or until golden.

Serve with a Beurre Blanc (White Butter, page 191) and the Gratin de Poireaux (Cheesy Grilled Leeks, page 170).