Admittedly, this is not the prettiest dish to photograph.  But, it is very tasty and very easy for something that looks and sounds rather spectacular.  The dill sauce is not strictly necessary, but I find the dish rather dry without it.  Added bonus – you can prep it in the morning and refrigerate until cooking it at dinnertime.

Salmon in Puff Pastry with Dill Sauce
adapted from Salmon and Rice Wrapped in Pastry with Dill Sauce

Ingredients (4 servings):

Salmon:
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup minced leek
6 oz chopped shiitake mushrooms
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 6-oz skinless salmon fillets
Salt & pepper

Dill Sauce:
2/3 cup clam juice
½ cup dry white wine
1 ¼ cups crème fraîche
3 Tbsp minced fresh dill
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Salmon, Part 1:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add leek and saute until it just softens, about 4 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms, cover, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices – about 5 minutes.
3. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and saute until the moisture evaporates – about 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook completely.

Salmon, Part 2:

1. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry into a 12-inch square.  Cut into 4 equal smaller squares.
2. Divide the leek/mushroom mixture among the squares.  Note: if you have eaters who would prefer not to have leeks/mushrooms you can just leave them out at this step.
3. Place one piece of salmon diagonally across each square. 
4. Roll out the second puff pastry sheet to a 13-inch square and quarter.
5. Bring the open corners (upper rights and lower lefts in above picture) over the salmon and top with the second puff pastry piece, tucking its corners under.  If possible, bring the small corners of the top sheet under also to seal the ends of the salmon.  Note: it is not critical to do this, but the more sealed the better.
6. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. 
7. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Bake until fish reaches 145°F, or about 30 minutes.
3. Serve with dill sauce.

Note:  The inside will be VERY hot.  If you have small children, cut theirs open to allow them to cool before reaching the table.

Dill Sauce:

1. Boil the clam juice and wine in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the crème fraîche.  Reduce to about 1 cup – about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat.  Stir in dill.  Season with salt and pepper.

I don’t buy swordfish very often, but I was looking for some variety from my usual cod and salmon.  At the fish counter, the swordfish seemed like the best option.  And, this recipe was a huge hit so it will definitely be made again.

Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Fish cookbook, though I did modify it somewhat.

5 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt & pepper
4 swordfish steaks
lemon wedges for serving

1. Mix all the ingredients except fish & lemon wedges in a shallow non-reactive container.
2. Add the fish and turn to coat.
3. Cover and marinate 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat broiler (or grill).
5. Place fish on broiler pan or grill rack.
6. Broil/grill about 4 minutes per side.

Note: I forgot to take a picture of the actual dish, but since its the cover photo for the book, I included a picture of the book here to give you an idea of what the final dish looks like.

This is from The Boston Globe Magazine – February 17, 2008.

This is one of my go-to farmer’s market recipes.  You can easily adjust the amount of fish to your needs without affecting the other ingredients.  I make ours in an 8-qt stock pot because I like the extra depth.  I find a saute pan to be a bit tight.  Serve with a crusty bread.

2 1/2-lb skinless cod fillets
1/4 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, cut in half & thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (optional)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, draining optional
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (I have used red also.)
3 cups chicken broth
6 cups (1 bunch) coarsely chopped Swiss chard
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups chopped fresh basil (optional)

1. Rinse the cod, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Squeeze the lemon over the fillets and set the fish aside.
2. In pan, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion & fennel, season with salt & pepper, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Arrange the potato slices on top of the tomato mixture.  Season with more salt & pepper, add the chicken broth, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  (Note: this often takes more like 20 minutes, especially if using red potatoes.)
5. Lay the cod fillets on top of the potatoes and put the Swiss chard on top of the fish.  Cover again and cook until the chard is wilted and the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Divide the chard among 6 plates.  Divide the fish into portions and place on top of the chard, then divide and arrange the potatoes around the fish.
7. Optional: Put the pan back on the heat, add the butter to the sauce, and stir to mix.  Reduce for about 2 minutes, then adjust season with salt & pepper.  Add basil to the sauce, stir to mix, and spoon over the fish.  Serve immediately.

I’m a big fan of recipes I can prep when I have time/ingredients and then eat later.  This is a great one for that theme since the pouches go straight from the freezer to the oven, and it’s something my kids will eat.

Unfortunately, I don’t have pre-frozen photos.  But, doesn’t this look yummy, some would even say elegant if cut open properly.

Halibut with Carrots & Leeks (from Real Simple magazine)

3 small carrots, thinly sliced – could easily be doubled, if desired
2 leeks (white and light green parts), sliced into half moons – optional
4 6-ounce halibut fillets (1 inch thick, skin removed)
Kosher salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup fresh oregano – 4 tsp dried works fine

Prep:

1. Arrange 4 squares of parchment on a flat surface. Fold to create a diagonal line.
2. Place the carrots and leeks in the center on one side of the line. Place the halibut on the vegetables.
3. ** The seasonings in this step are for the total of 4 pouches.** Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the oregano.
4. Fold the parchment over. Starting at one point fold over the edges to seal.  You’ll end up with a half-heart shape.
5. Place the packets in plastic bags and freeze until ready to cook, for up to 3 months.

Cook:

1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Remove the proper number of packets from the freezer and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Cook for 25 minutes.
4. Cut open the packets before serving. Be careful of the escaping steam.  (On each plate makes the best presentation, but since I’m feeding the kids I transfer the contents to their plates)

I did modify this slightly and my comments as to the ingredients are included.  I am most likely to prep this when I find halibut at the farmer’s market fishmonger.  I’m sure he wonders what I’m doing with all the fish as I usually buy for that night’s dinner also and they rarely are things that would go together.