Pescatize your cuisine!

For anyone who has ever watched the American television reality show, "Hell's Kitchen", you are well aware that Gordon Ramsey is a stickler for perfection when it comes to the preparation of the infamous Beef Wellington. A succulent piece of meat is roasted within a flaky crust to create a moist and pleasant dish.

Salmon Wellington. Two words not normally associated together, Whole Foods has created a recipe that takes the classic assembly of this dish but adds some omega-3's and eliminates the heart attack at the end of the meal. A modern Pescatarian version of a carnivore's favorite food, I don't doubt that Ramsey would be floored by this recipe.

Ingredients

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 pound mushrooms, very finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped, divided

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

¾ cup frozen thawed chopped spinach, squeezed dry

1 (14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed but very cold

6 (6-ounce) pieces center-cut skinless salmon fillet

1 cup dry red wine

1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Method

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms, half the shallots, half the salt, half the pepper, and half the thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and almost completely dry, about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until the mixture is very dry. Set aside to let cool.

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a well-floured surface, roll out pastry to a rectangle about 21 x 16 inches. Use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut into 6 pieces, each about 7 x 8 inches. Season salmon on all sides with the remaining salt and pepper. Place a piece of salmon on each piece of puff pastry; if any ends of the salmon are particularly thin, tuck them under so the pieces are fairly uniform in thickness. Top salmon with mushroom mixture. Use your finger to moisten edges of pastry with a little water, then fold pastry sides in like a package and press to seal, completely covering the salmon and mushrooms. Arrange seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining shallot, thyme and wine in a small saucepan. Simmer until reduced to about ½ cup; set aside off the heat. Brush the tops of the pastry with egg and bake in the top third of the oven until pastry is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reheat reduced wine; remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter a little at a time. Spoon sauce onto plates and top with salmon. 

Nutrition

Per serving: 610 calories (300 from fat), 33g total fat, 11g saturated fat, 125mg cholesterol, 880mg sodium, 27g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 43g protein

Serves 6. *Photo Credit: Whole Foods.