Puff pastry pie with Couscous, salmon and wild fennel – MARTINO’s Couscous

The kitchen is the place where nutrition meets creativity. And salmon cannot miss from such a kitchen. It is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, it has impressive health benefits, it is versatile and widely available. Today we share with you how to add some creativity to this nutritional powerhouse called salmon.

Upgrade your basic salmon dish, and make this salmon wellington instead: smoked salmon mixed with the mild flavor of Martino’s Couscous, seasoned with the fresh aroma of fennel and wrapped in puff pastry. Baked to perfection, the puff pastry has a slight crunchiness yet soft doughy texture that takes a basic salmon to a whole new level.

recipe by Giallo Zafferano’ Simona Novarini

 

Here is how to prepare this mouthwatering puff pastry pie with smoked salmon and wild fennel

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 rectangular puff pastry sheet
• 150 grams of Martino’s Couscous
• 150 ml of vegetable broth
• 200 grams of smoked salmon
• 2 bunches of chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• salt as needed
• 1 egg yolk for the egg wash

Preparation:

Hydrate the couscous:
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add 150ml of vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and bring everything to a simmer.

When simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and add 150 grams of Martino’s Couscous. Cover with a lid and let the couscous sit for 4-5 minutes until the broth is completely absorbed and the couscous is fully hydrated. Fluff with the help of a fork and transfer it to a bowl.

Prepare the filling:
Cut the smoked salmon in small pieces and add it to the couscous. Add the chopped fennel fronds, 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds, a pinch of salt, and one lightly beaten egg. Mix well so that all the ingredients are evenly spread in the mixture. To make the mixture a little smoother you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Preparing the pastry:
Roll out the puff pastry, cut it into a rectangular shape and save a strip of about 3 inches for the decoration. With the help of a spoon spread the freshly couscous and salmon mixture in the center of the dough and press it lightly with the spoon. Make sure to leave enough space on the sides of the dough so that you can fold them over the couscous mixture.

Wrapping the dough:
Gently lift the dough one side at a time and cover the couscous and salmon mixture. Begin folding the puff pastry starting with the longer side. Make sure the two sides overlap. Seal the dough well so that the mixture will not pour out. You can do this by pressing the dough with your fingers so that it sticks. Once the couscous mixture is well wrapped with the fresh dough, turn it upside down.

Decorate:
It’s time to decorate your pastry. Take the stripe of pastry that you set aside earlier and lay it flat on a piece of parchment paper. Use a cookie cutter in any shape that you like and cut beautiful forms out of the dough. Place them on top of your couscous pie.

Egg wash:
Separate the yolk from the egg white and beat lightly the yolk. Use a cooking brush to spread a thin layer of the egg yolk over the pie. When baked this will make the pastry shiny and will give it a beautiful golden color.

At this point you can sprinkle the pie with a few poppy seeds on top or maybe some sesame seeds. It is up to you!

Baking:
Place parchment paper on a baking tray and place your pie in the middle. Bake it in a preheated oven at 190°C for about 20-25 minutes. You will see the pastry rise slowly and the top of the pie gaining a beautiful golden color. You are now ready to serve this delicious salmon wellington!

Did you know? Consuming at least two servings of salmon per week can help meet your nutrient needs and reduce the risk of several diseases. In addition, salmon is tasty, satisfying and versatile; perfect to unleash your creativity while cooking it! Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to get more creative and healthy dishes from Martino directly in your inbox.

Next time you feel the need for new tastes that don’t compromise your nutritional goals, try out this upgraded salmon dish and let the aroma of the fish and fresh fennel fill your house. Enjoy and leave us a comment to tell us about your salmon and couscous “adventures”.