An excellent blend of salmon, pesto, spinach and puff pastry. It tastes great and only takes a few minutes to put it all together!
My family loved this--even the three kids! Thaw the pastry for 45 min. to an hour at room temp. I used frozen spinach, a 9-oz. box, but I cooked it in the microwave and squeezed all the water out. Instead of salt and garlic powder, I used garlic salt. I also brushed a little egg-beaters on the top (not sure if that was needed, but it looked golden brown when done). I had to cook it about 15 min. extra to get the golden brown color, so allow enough time. I was concerned that the salmon would be overcooked, but it was still moist and flaky. This recipe makes more than what it says, at least enough for 8 - 10 people.
Read MoreI'm hunting around for an elegant, simple fish dish for a dinner's main course. Even though I anticipated some issues with this, I tried a half-batch exactly as written, and I had several problems: 1) It was really, REALLY bland; and 2) like other reviewers, I ended up with soggy-bottom salmon. I tweaked my second attempt quite a bit, with great results: Instead of using fresh spinach (which has a really high moisture content), I used very-well-drained frozen spinach. To give the spinach some needed flavor, I sauteed a mixture of finely-chopped mushrooms, garlic, shallots, nutmeg, butter, and salt for about 10 minutes, then added the spinach and sauteed for another 10-15 minutes to cook off as much moisture as possible (I hate to crash a recipe and rewrite it in the comments, but this seriously needed a flavor boost). I also removed the finished product to a rack to cool, which helped alleviate the sog factor. I'd say this dish is a good launching pad to add flavors that suit you - just do whatever you can to reduce the amount of moisture inside the pastry.
Read MoreI'm hunting around for an elegant, simple fish dish for a dinner's main course. Even though I anticipated some issues with this, I tried a half-batch exactly as written, and I had several problems: 1) It was really, REALLY bland; and 2) like other reviewers, I ended up with soggy-bottom salmon. I tweaked my second attempt quite a bit, with great results: Instead of using fresh spinach (which has a really high moisture content), I used very-well-drained frozen spinach. To give the spinach some needed flavor, I sauteed a mixture of finely-chopped mushrooms, garlic, shallots, nutmeg, butter, and salt for about 10 minutes, then added the spinach and sauteed for another 10-15 minutes to cook off as much moisture as possible (I hate to crash a recipe and rewrite it in the comments, but this seriously needed a flavor boost). I also removed the finished product to a rack to cool, which helped alleviate the sog factor. I'd say this dish is a good launching pad to add flavors that suit you - just do whatever you can to reduce the amount of moisture inside the pastry.
My family loved this--even the three kids! Thaw the pastry for 45 min. to an hour at room temp. I used frozen spinach, a 9-oz. box, but I cooked it in the microwave and squeezed all the water out. Instead of salt and garlic powder, I used garlic salt. I also brushed a little egg-beaters on the top (not sure if that was needed, but it looked golden brown when done). I had to cook it about 15 min. extra to get the golden brown color, so allow enough time. I was concerned that the salmon would be overcooked, but it was still moist and flaky. This recipe makes more than what it says, at least enough for 8 - 10 people.
Oh my gosh-this was the BEST way to serve salmon and it makes a ton. Just be sure to follow the thawing directions for the puff pastry exactly on the box for best results.
Okay, it doesn't specify but the spinach should definately be FRESH! If the dough is too thick, then roll it out a little before placing the ingredients inside. That way you can fit more ingredients inside too! Hope this helps.
Delicious. My boyfriend and I made this for dinner last night and both loved it. The only change we made was to add a bit of freshly grated parm cheese to the pesto.
Very TASTY! Made a few adjustments, used 1/2 tsp of garlic salt instead of powder/salt. Added feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Also did an egg wash (1 egg & 1 tsp of milk, wisk and brush on pastry) Just heavenly, hubby and 2 yr old loved it!
Hubbie says four and a half stars because it was "too simple". I give it SIX stars BECAUSE it was so simple! Would not change a thing. Great recipe! Quick. I brushed egg on the top of the pastry to make it a little more attractive.
SOOO GOOD! I used Mediterranean feta cheese instead of pesto. So good, and so easy.
We didn't care for this recipe. I think the concept is great, but the pesto seemed to ruin the salmon for us. I may try this again, but not with salmon or pesto maybe with chicken and swiss cheese and prosciutto. -I would rather barbecue my salmon with a little EVOO, Sesame oil, sea salt and lemon pepper then ruin it with pesto. I followed the recipe and cooked it 15 minutes longer then the recipe calls for and the pastry still was not fully cooked and I used the suggestions of others and rolled it out to be a little thinner. Not sure why it didn't cook all the way through. It looked done on the outside and everything else was done, but the pastry was not. Sorry for the bad review...
As a fan of beef wellington I just loved this idea! Changes were: I used 5 good sized salmon fillets placed them onto one sheet of puff pastry piled on the feta cheese, the powders as mentioned, and LOTS of fresh spinach then placed the second patry sheet on top of the fillets, stretched it out a bit and sealed it with the tines of a fork with the bottom pastry sheet. Moving it onto the baking sheet and off takes some doing this way, but it saves on the calories. Cook this on a cooling rack placed on baking sheet, otherwise the bottom may get soggy. This recipe is SO simple and EVERY person I have served this to loves it. Thanks!
My husband and I made this for Valentines dinner, it was fun putting it together. I knew it would be a lot from reading the other reviews so we saved half for lunch the next day. The only thing I did differently was to add crumbled feta to the spinach. It took about 40 minutes to bake and was very good.
the dinner guests and my man loved this. I thought it was good, but nothing spectacular. The flavors are good and blend well together. Followed recipe exactly.
this dish was EXCELLENT! We didn't have any spinach handy, so can't wait to try it again with the spinach!
Fantastic! We loved the flavor and it is really simple but looks impressive. I used fresh spinach leaves as the review of the submitter recommends. Mine did take an additional 30 minutes beyond the 25 minute baking time but the salmon was not dry at all so it was worth waiting for. Leftovers in the oven were fantastic as well. Leftovers in the microwave were wonderful in flavor and the salmon was still not dried out, but of course the pastry was too soggy for me to eat (but I ate plenty of the yummy salmon and spinach!). Thanks for another keeper!
This was a very good recipe. I had no issues like others have had. I used fresh spinach which I believe the recipe called for. I know some people used frozen which could of explained the sogginess. I cooked it on the lower end-20 minutes and everything came out very good. You should for sure be hungry when you make this. The serving size is quite large and the pastry is quite filling. It was a nice way to cook salmon that was different then what is used too. Will make again for probably a special occasion
This was so good. My 7 year old shocked me by saying it was the best dinner ever! I have to confess, I was so busy throwing it together that I even forgot the pesto. It felt a little like something was "missing"...dugh! The pesto! It was my own fault. However...even without the pesto, it was delicious!!! I bet it would be even better with all the ingredients. Ha! I also used phyllo instead of puffed pastry, and it worked pretty well. I'll be trying this recipe again...the right way!
Just made this dish tonight. A great flavor, easy to prepare, and an all around excellent dish. I prepared almost as stated, used fresh garlic instead of powder, omitted the onion powder, and brushed the top with a small amount of olive oil. I paired this with some couscous and the left over spinach from the bagged fresh spinach that did not fit in the puff. I minced two cloves of garlic before adding it to the canned pesto. Other reviews said the bottom was soggy, mine did not do that at all. I had a nice crisp bottom, but I did bake it about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe called for. Even with extended baking time, it did not dry out, it still held a balanced moistness. I feel like a lot of the fishy flavor that turns most people away from salmon were not prevalent in the dish. So, if you are a little hesitant to try because of the fishy flavor, don't be. Also, I bought fresh salmon and removed the skin prior to seasoning the fish. This will certainly become a favorite fish recipe from my recipe book.
Pulled the pesto and added Feta instead. Truly fantastic. Freeze and eat later. Tastes just as good!
Oh my, we loved loved loved loved loved this!!!! left out the pesto sauce. I'm planning to make this again in a couple of days for a family gathering, but i'm making smaller portions. THANK YOU!
I have made this recipe quite a few times and have received rave reviews each time. A great recipe to impress guests! I use atlantic salmon flash frozen from Sam's Club and canned pesto. I follow the recipe exactly, but add a bit of feta for an extra level of flavor. Thanks for posting!
This recipe was very Yummy! I followed another readers advice an did an eggwash which made the pastry very pretty. The only thing I will change next time is maybe add some parmesan cheese. This recipe would also be good with chicken and pine nuts, pesto, and gouda.
We really liked the salmon, pesto, spinach combo, but the phyllo was a little too thick.
Another great salmon recipe even for those not crazy about salmon. We're one of those families that eats it because it's good for you, not because we particularly like it. This was one of the few where my family actually had seconds. Two thumbs up. Thanks to the contributor.
Fixed this for our anniversary and it was marvelous! Would be great for company-- delicious and appears more work than it is!
We loved this tasty twist to salmon. After baking for 30 min, it still was not browned so I broiled it for 3 minutes to make it golden and toasted! It was great!
great, impressive dish for dinner parties. Served with wild rice, salad, and good white wine.
The spinach didn't cook up enough. The salmon didn't quite fit in the puff pastry.
Wow! This was WAY better than I anticipated, and we loved it! We made it exactly as the recipe said and I took the advice of another reviewer and set the pastry on a cooling rack for a bit after I took it out of the oven to prevent the bottom from going mushy. I made half the recipe (one large pastry) and it made two generous meal sized portions for my husband and I. We will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely delicious! My family loved this dish! The recipe did not specify fresh or frozen spinach, so I used frozen and it was just as great! Portions are very large and filling. Brilliant!
Excellent and delicious! Easy to make, too. We will make this again, no question. Thank you!
We loved this and have received rave comments from guests. The secret for easier handling is keep the pastry cool. I might add sun dried tomatoes and/or feta cheese next time for a change, but the ingredients as specified blend well and don't overpower the salmon.
This was delicious. I ended up cutting a 14 oz salmon fillet into thirds, and I was able to completely wrap them w/2 sheets of pastry puff. Next time I will roll the dough out so I can get more out of it. I used fresh chopped spinach and Classico pesto. My husband really enjoyed this dish and ate his entire serving!
This was very rich treat, a little heavy for a salmon dish. Next time I will use less puff pastry and pesto with larger pieces of salmon. Great flavor combination, though!
I make a a variation of the same recipe, I add 1 teaspoon of dill seasoning, a teaspoon of horse radish and sprinkle some asiago cheese onto the salmon before topping with spinach and closing the pie crust. The taste is excellent. And is always a hit at parties! =)
These were great! Rolled out the puff pastry on a floured surface and had no trouble getting it to cook up. I didn't have pesto so I made a garlic and herb blend sauce to use in its place and it was great. I think this recipe could be very versatile. My family really enjoyed this and we'll be trying it again with the pesto.
love love love love this recipe!!! :) have made it numerous times and it's always great. looks dif but can be made quick. hubby even likes it without pesto sauce. just make sure spinach is dry b/f putting in pastry. makes for an impressive meal! :)
I prepared this for dinner for my family and a couple of guests and there was not a crumb left. This dish was a winner in my house. I look forward to making it again. Next time, I think I'm going to try to add a bit of feta cheese, as another review suggested, and see how it turns out!
I love this recipe! I have never been successful cooking fish before, but this turned out to be delicious, beautiful, and so easy! I made it exactly according to the directions. I can't wait to make this one again!
Awesome dish! It was a huge hit at my Memorial Day party. I added 6 oz of Feta cheese and it turned out perfect!
Another favorite at our house and so easy to make! My kids can't eat cow dairy, so the pesto is out for their versions. Instead, I just add soft goat cheese. I use fresh spinach and also add chopped mushrooms to the recipe to sneak some more veggies in everyone's diets--don't tell! Really, really yummy and my 3 year old asks for the "bread and salmon" often.
I am incredibly disapointed in this recipe. I followed it exactly except for using well wrung thawed frozen spinach and brushing some egg wash to the bottom of the dough before adding rest of ingredients to avoid sogginess. It worked perfectly, and the bottom was nice and crispy. but the whole thing still came out completely flavourless :( unfortunately. My kids and I had an extremely hard time finishing our plates. I hate waste, so I ended up opening the dough to uncover the fish and dolopped some tartar sauce over it and recovered it with the dough. Thankfully, we were able to eat the rest of our plates that way. It was actually pretty good that way. However, the next day this doesn't work for the leftovers. I love the idea, but in reality, it needed so much MORE to work. sorry :(
This is a simple, elegant dish that has become a family favourite. One thing I've added is a few tablespoons of creme fresh on top of the salmon. (Light sour cream would likely also work.) Adds a beautiful creamy texture and a bit more complexity to the taste overall. Yum!
Moist, flavorful, and easy to prepare...this recipe hits all the important points in our house. My husband loved this and he is an avid hater of spinach. This would be great for company too. It was like having a fancy meal in a fine restaurant, but was soooo easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing. This will definitely go into our regular rotation of meals!!
I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while and I'm so glad I did! This was so easy and so great. I didn't make any changes. I'm giving it 4 stars, though, because this dish was pretty unhealthy compared to what I usually cook.
Dufor's puff pastry is only 14 oz. I couldn't get all the spinache stuffed inside and the seam ripped apart while cooking. Buy more pastry or decrease the salmon. Roll the pastry wide and not long so the seam will be well covered. Kid's thought it needed more taste. I think the pesto used is important. (mine was walnuts, basil, olive, oil, garlic, parmesian but no salt. My 12 yr old said it needs more kick like feta, parmesian. or mint leaves in the pesto. Some bites were tastier than others. If the salmon was slice thin and more pesto added between the slices that would make for more consistency in taste per bite. No soggy bottom if you pat dry salmon and spinache.
Simply Excellent!! I followed the recipe to a "T"- except that I put an Egg Beaters wash on top of the pastry for flakiness, salt and fresh-ground pepper on top of that and then I put the 2 pastries on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. This recipe was so simple but had a restaurant-quality taste and appearance!
tasty tasty, it makes quite a bit though, and it helps A LOT to roll out the pasty dough. I tried this without rolling it and it would not stay together. Also, I added some mushrooms that I had sauteed in red wine before hand, and it went very nicely with the other flavors in here.
This is a favorite. I often make it for company; it looks fancy and is easy to put together. It has a great combination of flavors, which does not overpower the salmon.
Definatly a 5 star. Made this for New Years Dinner with company. It looks and tastes very impressive. Didn't have spinich so just left it out. Will keep this recipe for next occassion !
Apart from topping the salmon with some finely diced fresh mushrooms, I made this as written, and it turned out pretty well. If I were to make it again, I would roll out the pastry - it was a bit too much for the piece of fish I used. Oh, and definitely cook it on a rack - this avoids the soggy bottom that other reviewers complained about. Not bad though. Thanks, danigirl!
I thought it was decent, but a little too rich for me. My husband really liked them. I liked the seasoning on the salmon alone much better than with the pastry and spinach.
This was absolutely wonderful!My boyfriend just devoured it. The one thing I did do was i dabbed the salmon quiet a bit with paper towels. Oh and I only added a few sprigs of spinach each, I think the original recipe calls for too much. To me, it would make the pastry doughy. Thank you so much for adding this recipe, I will most definetly be making this again!
Made this for a couple picky eaters- everyone raved!! Made mine a little smaller and it was perfect for personal portion sizes. VERY rich but VERY delicious.
This is delicious! Sure to impress company, but fast enough to cook up for the family!
My family loves salmon and spinach so I was really excited to make this after reading all the great reviews. The salmon didn't seem done enough, and while the pastry was nice and flaky on the outside it was slimy on the inside. The spinach was still raw and the pesto gave it a weird flavor.
YUM!! This recipe is super easy and so tasty. I used frozen seasoned salmon, and fresh spinach. After wrapping them with puff pastry I brushed it with milk and sprinkled garlic powder, paprika, crushed dried mint and parmesan cheese. just YUM
What a great meal! I couldn't get the skin off my salmon and it still turned out wonderful.
I am glad I tried this recipe as it showed me how easy puff pastry is. As Danigirl days, it really does only take a few minutes. After reading a few reviews, I did up the seasoning, and I added a few cubes of feta. I used extremely well-drained frozen spinach and had no issues with a soggy crust. It was in fact delightfully crispy. I finished with a creamy white parsley sauce as it goes so well with salmon. Thanks Danigirl.
I made my own puff pastry from the puff pastry recipe on this site. Since I didn't have any onion or garlic powder, I skipped it. I didn't need it! I added about a teaspoon of cream cheese to the top and cooked it for about 35 min on 400F. Great recipe.
The bottom is soggy. That is the biggest flaw of this recipe. I'm not quite sure how to fix it, either. I used fresh spinach and followed the recipe to a "T." I figure since any protein I cook on a cookie sheet has liquid underneath it when cooked through, I shouldn't be surprised that the pastry was soggy on the bottom. I would make this again if I had a cure for the "soggy bottom."
This was so delicious and so easy. I tasted like it required a lot more effort than it did. I'm not crazy about salmon, but my husband loves it, so I've been looking for good salmon recipe for ages and I finally found it! Thanks for this jem!
This is a great salmon recipe!!! Huge success at my house. I used sliced almonds instead of pine nuts in the pesto due to $$$ and I think it turned out even better. If your not a fish fan but love pesto, try this one out.
Was delicious! Be careful not to overfill as I had to stretch the pastry to make it over the salmon. Will make again
LOVED IT! I did change it a little. Instead of pesto, I used Garlic & Herb feta. I also, as suggested, rolled the pastry dough out before using it to make it nice and thin. Finally, I did use frozen leaf spinach and just dried it completely with paper towels. It was our Valentine's dinner and the hubby devoured it! I served it with au gratin potatoes. DELICIOUS! We cut it in sections like a hoagie sub because they are so big! We only finished one of them and we were STUFFED! Great recipe!
Although I did not follow the recipe exactly, I felt the need to review it because it is such a wonderful addition to our recipe box. I used roasted red pepper feta because the grocery store I went to did not have pesto. It was so delicious I cannot bear to try it with pesto. My husband said it was one of the best things I have made. And on top of that, it was so simple.
I did this recipe without the spinach, and I mixed the pesto with non-fat mayo to make it less potent. It was delicious! The salmon and the puff pastry finished cooking at the same time, and the salmon was so moist and flavorful. Add sesame seeds to the top, with an egg glaze. Big hit!!!!
I made a version of this. Let me just say the puff pastry is quite nice around the salmon, but a warning: it doesn't make for a good leftover.
This recipe is so easy and cheap to make. My boyfriend and I are third year university students and flat broke. We split the cost of the ingredients and got two meals out of it for less than $5 each. It took about five minutes to prepare and tasted amazing. We can't wait to make it again.
This was fun to assemble. We combined the two sheets and two lumps into one larger "log." It was tasty and got high marks from the 6 of us (my cooking club). Definitely cut down on the spinach and choose your pesto wisely. Most liked the sun-dried tomato pesto, but I'll use lemon pesto next time... Tossed in some feta and it was good! :) Will make again. Thanks!
Very elegant and impressive for something so fast and easy. My first time for "en croute", and I was surprised how easily it worked out. Next time, I will make a few cut outs of pastry for the top and brush with an egg wash. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this exactly according the directions and it was great, everyone loved it! I used a stone to bake it on and it wasn't soggy at all!
I quite enjoyed the flavours although the bottom was soggy. Not sure how to prevent that. I used fresh baby spinach leaves. Easy to prepare and delish. Thanks danigirl
Flavorful and so easy to make! I washed the salmon fillets and then marinated them with some basil, thyme, garlic powder and rosemary. I also added some minced garlic and onion on top of the pesto before topping with spinach.
Very, very good and simple to prepare. The dish looks quite elegant, too. I followed the recipe exactly, except for adding feta which was a nice, tangy choice.
my family loved it!!! my partner and i rolled the pastry and only used pesto and the fish (we try cutting on salt and oil). in addition, i paper dried the fish, and brushed the puff pastry with whisked egg. the fish was thoroughly baked after only 20 minuutes with a golden crust on top.
What kind of spinach? 20-25 mins isn't long enough to cook the pastry b/c it needs to chill after rolling & sealing. Didn't say to use egg wash. Otherwise, it's a really good recipe. I sprinkled chopped shallots over the spinach layers for extra flavor, in lieu of garlic or onion powder
One bite and my dh said delicious. I used frozen spinach and brushed top with egg wash. Great recipe.
I combined this with another recipe and the results were wonderful! I sautéed asparagus pieces (instead of spinach) in butter with a little onion. Made a hollandaise sauce from a mix (instead of pesto) and then layered asparagus on one sheet of puff pastry, the salmon fillets, more asparagus, then topped with the hollandaise sauce and the second sheet of puff pastry. It took quite a while to bake and I finally put it under the broiler for a minute to brown the top but the results were beautiful and delicious!
This recipe is great! I made these into appetizer portions for our thanksgiving feast. I did like what other reviewers suggested and sautéed in butter and olive oil a mixture of very well drained thawed frozen spinach, mushrooms, and garlic. I brushed the a little egg wash on too before putting them into a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes. The puff pastry came out golden brown and The salmon was deliciously moist and flavorful!! Thank you for sharing!!
Absolutely delicious! Rave reviews from the husband, the 20 year old son, and a neighbor who just happened to stop by for dinner! Per another's suggestion, I used frozen spinach as I didn't have fresh - worked just fine! Easy and oh so good!!!
This was terrible! The dough was soggy after cooking with the spinach. The salmon had little flavor. It was a gloppy mess that was not worth ever making again!
I really liked this recipe and even my 4 year old thought it was good. I also tried it with chicken and it turned out great!
Wasn't all that impressed. I took the suggestion of the other reviewers & rolled out the pastry. The salmon still seemed too thick. I'm not sure if it was from the fish or the pesto oil, but the bottom of the roll absorbed the liquid making the bottom soggy & both me & my boyfriend were majorly sick the next day after eating this. Maybe it was just too rich.
