Filo Pastry Salmon Coulibiac

INGREDIENTS

Rice:

40g butter
2 red onions chopped
200g closed-cup mushrooms, chopped into small dice
250g long grain rice
600ml warm, good quality fish stock
2 teaspoons capers
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon black pepper

Pastry:

80g melted butter
12 sheets of ready-made filo pastry

Fish layer:

8 fillets of salmon between 125-150g each
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Beurre Blanc:

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and
3 tablespoons water
225g butter cut into chunks and chilled
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Oven: 190’ C/ 170’ C Fan/ Gas Mark 5, pre-heated

To make the rice:

Place the casserole on the hob and melt the 40g butter over a low to medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until softened but not browned. Add the chopped mushrooms and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the rice. Add the warm fish stock, capers, lemon juice and black pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer, put on the lid, turn down the heat and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes before turning the rice out into a large dish to cool. Wash and dry the pan ready to make the pie.

To make the pie:

Melt the 80g butter in a small pan. Brush the inside of the pan with some of the melted butter. Line the pan with five of the filo sheets overlapping across the centre and overhanging the edges. Brush with some of the melted butter and repeat the process. The whole dish should have coverage of at least two sheets of pastry with no gaps and hang over at the edges by 10-12 cm.

Place half the cooled rice mixture in to the pastry lined pan. Place the salmon fillets on top in a clock formation and season well.

Sprinkle over the chopped parsley, and add the remaining rice on top.

Gently fold over the pastry to enclose the contents. Cut or tear the remaining two pastry sheets into pieces and scrunch on the top of the pie.

Brush liberally all over with the remaining melted butter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with mayonnaise or Beurre Blanc sauce and a dressed green salad.

To make the Beurre Blanc:

Heat the shallots, vinegar and water in a small saucepan, simmer until reduced by half. Reduce the heat to very low so the contents of the pan are no longer simmering.

Whisking constantly, add the butter one piece at a time waiting for each one to melt before adding the next. Do not overheat or the sauce will split.

Once the butter is incorporated, the sauce should be emulsified and thick. Remove from the heat and season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Use immediately.