Salmon Casserole en Croute

August 27, 2009 at 7:23 pm (Fish and Fishery, Fruits, Vegetables, Plants, Milk and milk products, Real Food) (, , , , , , )

Salmon casserole has been a favorite in my family for some years now.  Here’s a simple, frugal version that doesn’t skimp on flavor..

Salmon Casserole en Croûte

Salmon Casserole en Croûte

For 2 servings

1 tablespoon pastured butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 oz dry white wine
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon Shichimi Togarashi (optional)
sea salt & freshly-ground pepper

1 can premium quality wild Alaskan salmon

1 cup spelt or quinoa pasta (optional)

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Prepare pasta, if using, leaving it very slightly underdone.  Drain and set aside.

To make roux, melt the butter in a non-reactive pan, whisk in flour and cook stirring continuously until the raw flour taste is gone, about 5 minutes.

Heat the cream in another pan until simmering, then whisk in the roux and cook until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Reduce heat, add lemon juice, wine and the liquid from the salmon and simmer a few minutes more.

Add tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper and togarishi (if using).  Stir to combine, then remove from heat.

Combine pasta, salmon, celery, chives and cream sauce in a bowl, taking care not to mash up the salmon.

Spoon salmon mixture into a buttered casserole, loosely filling the dish almost to the top.  Pour a little more white sauce over the top of the salmon.

Roll out puff pastry dough to 1/4 inch thickness and 1 inch greater in diameter than the casserole itself.

Brush the outer inch of the dough with some egg beaten with water, then flip it up and over the casserole so that the egg mixture is on the inside, against the sides of the casserole.

Brush the rest of the egg & water over the top of the dough, then cut several vent holes with the tip of a knife.

Bake casserole in a 350 degree oven until the dough has risen and is golden brown in color, about 30 minutes.

Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

The post is part of the Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet


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11 Comments

  1. CageFree said,

    August 27, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    I was just talking to a friend about salmon casserole this afternoon! Can’t live without it since I gave up tuna and thus, tuna casserole.

    Lately I’ve been making my salmon chowder, per Quinn’s requests, and then turning the leftovers into casserole. Yummy. I really like the simplicity of topping it with a pastry sheet though. I’ll have to give that a try. Now, if only they made sprouted puff pastry ;-)

    I do miss the curry and tuna flavor combo I had going in the tuna casseroles I used to make though. It doesn’t seem to work as well with salmon.

    Reply

    • Ren said,

      August 27, 2009 at 8:37 pm

      Sprouted puff pastry right here.. http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-spelt-puff-pastry/

      Leftover chowder? I don’t see how that’s possible, unless you’re cooking it in 55-gallon drums or something..

      Reply

      • CageFree said,

        August 27, 2009 at 11:47 pm

        awesome!

        heh :-) No, I guess I probably make a double or triple batch though… lots of veggies in it, like roasted corn, sweet potatoes, etc. It fills our dutch oven and there’s enough left after double servings for a lunch for us and then a four serving casserole. Three meals for four out of one lb of salmon. :-)

        Reply

        • Ren said,

          August 28, 2009 at 12:02 am

          Now that’s some frugal cooking!

          Reply

          • CageFree said,

            August 28, 2009 at 12:47 pm

            Well, I try. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep a fully organic, gluten free grocery grocery bill affordable for an expanding family of four when we’re just getting settled. We won’t have a garden in until next year and it won’t be producing until June-ish. We’re trying to get a lean-to passive solar greenhouse up, but we have some heavy restrictions from the local land trust on what we can build (including any fencing around the garden or for poultry, dairy)

            It’s gonna be a process even without the effort of learning to grow in the Northern New Mexico Mountains.

            Reply

  2. Pennywise Platter Thursday 8/26 said,

    August 27, 2009 at 9:23 pm

    [...] Salmon Casserole en Croûte [...]

    Reply

  3. Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet said,

    August 27, 2009 at 9:34 pm

    Looks amazing! What’s Shichimi Togarashi?

    Reply

  4. Pennywise Platter Thursday 9/2 said,

    September 2, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    [...] and cheap it is. Also, Ren as always has a gourmet but frugal and nourishing meal for you with his Salmon Casserole en Croute. Looks so [...]

    Reply

  5. Amanda @ the Rebuild blog said,

    September 2, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    You’re killing me here, Ren. I give up all grains but rice starting tomorrow and I come here and read about salmon and puff pastry.

    Reply

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