Salmon with Beetroot En Croûte

Serves four

Ingredients

• 600g Mount Cook Alpine New Zealand salmon, whole side skinned

• 200ml tub crème

fraîche

• 2 tablespoons creamed

horseradish

• 1 pack fresh dill,

chopped

• 75g boiled red baby

beetroots, drained • 375g puff pastry

• 1 egg yolk, lightly

beaten

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, gas mark 6. Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and set aside. Mix together the crème fraîche, horseradish and dill, and season to taste. Pat the beetroot dry with kitchen paper, then chop roughly.

2. Unroll the pastry and place the salmon in the centre. Spread three-quarters of the crème fraîche mixture over the top of the salmon, then scatter the beetroot evenly on the top.

3. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg yolk, then bring the long edges together in the middle, tucking in the ends as you go. Press the edges together tightly to seal and pinch all the way along the join, using thumb and finger, for a decorative finish. Brush the pastry all over with more egg yolk.

4. Place on a greased baking tray and cook in the oven for

20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.

5. Allow to stand for five minutes, then cut into thick slices.

Tip: Serve with buttered potatoes, red grape tomatoes, lightly steamed green beans and a spoonful of the remaining crème fraîche sauce.

“This contemporary twist on a classic dish makes for an impressive centrepiece at dinner parties and is much easier to prepare than its name suggests. The winning combination of beetroot and fresh salmon creates an incredibly fresh flavour.”