Salmon en Croute

Oven temperature: 200C then 170C

Method:

To cook the salmon take a double layer of tin foil, butter all over, put in sliced lemon, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns. Bake in the oven at 200C for approximately 20 minutes. Now remove the fish from the foil and take the flesh and put it on a tray until ready to assemble the dish. 

 Meanwhile make the salmon mousse. Gently soften the onion in a little olive oil then add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Strain well, making sure all the liquid has been removed – it must be quite dry – and put to one side until required. Make sure there are no bones in the salmon and remove all the blood fat. Put into a processor and process until smooth, add the egg white. Process again and add the cream in a stream, pulsing the salmon at the same time; being careful not to over-mix as the cream will curdle. Remove from the processor, put it in a bowl and add the mushroom mixture, parsley and cooked rice, and season well with salt and pepper. Put into the fridge until required. 

 Roll out 300g of the pastry to 3mm thick, 20cm wide and 35cm long and place on a buttered baking tray. Spread on a thin layer of mousse, in a 10cm x 27cm rectangle in the middle of the pastry. Spread half of the salmon evenly on top of the mousse. Cover with another layer of mousse, now place the rest of the salmon in a layer and repeat with another layer of mouse. Spread a little more mousse on the sides, forming a neat rectangle. Roll out the remaining 500g of the pastry 3mm thick, 32cm wide and 47cm long. Place on top of the rectangle and pat down gently on the top and sides. Carefully seal the edges of the pastry with egg wash, decorate the top with leaves, or whatever takes your fancy, cut from the trimmings, and brush all over with egg wash. Make a small hole in the top and cook in the oven at 200C for 50 minutes or until golden brown; turn the oven down to 170C after 35 minutes.