Salmon and Watercress Plait

Salmon and Watercress Plait
  • Serves: 6
  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 7 British Lion eggs
  • 50g watercress
  • 10g fresh dill leaves including stalks
  • 500g skinless salmon fillet, cubed
  • 100g pack smoked salmon
  • salt and plenty of ground black pepper
  • 1 (320g) pack ready rolled puff pastry
  • optional sauce:
  • 1 (200ml) tub half fat creme fraiche
  • zest and juice 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • to serve new potatoes and green vegetables

Method

  1. Place 6 of the eggs in a medium pan, cover with cold water and slowly bring to the boil. When boiling, stir the water, then reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and when cool enough to handle, tap the shells all over and remove. Set the eggs aside on kitchen paper to dry.
  2. Meanwhile, put the watercress and dill in a food processor. Blitz until coarsely chopped. Add the fresh and smoked salmon and blitz again until minced. Don’t chop it too fine. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Crack one of the remaining eggs in a small bowl, and whisk. Add half the beaten egg to the salmon. Season before mixing together.
  4. Unroll the pastry rectangle onto a sheet of baking paper, short ends at the top and bottom. Leaving a 10cm wide strip down the middle of the pastry, use a knife to make 9cm long, 1.5cm wide diagonal cuts down both the long sides. Lightly brush beaten egg all over the pastry.
  5. Heap half the salmon mix down the middle of the pastry. Top with the boiled eggs lying them side on, in a row, with 2cm space top and bottom. Top with the remaining salmon, pressing the mixture around the eggs to bury them.
  6. Tuck the ends over the end of the salmon, trim off some of the excess pastry on the sides - a triangle off each side. Now bring a strip of pastry over the salmon from one side, and then the other side, weaving them together to make a plait.
  7. Use the paper to lift the plait onto a baking tray. Use any pastry trimmings to make decorations. Brush with the remaining egg and chill until ready to bake.
  8. Preheat the oven to Fan 200oC Gas Mark 6. Bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a board or flat plate to serve.
  9. Optional lemon creme sauce: mix the creme fraiche in a little bowl together with the lemon zest and juice and dill, season to taste. Spoon into a serving bowl.

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5 / 5 rating (3 votes)

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