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Salmon in Pastry Sacks

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided

  • 4 salmon fillets, skin removed

  • Salt and ground black pepper

  • 1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

  • 1 leek, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly

  • Salt and ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 sheets puff pastry dough, defrosted in the fridge if frozen

  • Flour, as needed for rolling out

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and sear in the hot pan until golden brown. Remove and reserve. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add 1 more turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the mushrooms and leeks to the pan, and cook until golden brown, 6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the tarragon, cream and Dijon to the skillet. Bring up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced and thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. While the mushroom sauce cools, roll the 2 sheets of puff pastry out slightly and cut both sheets in half widthwise. Divide the mushroom cream sauce between the four sheets of dough, making a small pile in the middle of the sheet. Place a piece of seared fish on top of the sauce and fold the edges of the dough up around the fillet, making a pocket. Transfer the pockets, seam side down, onto a baking sheet. Cut a few slits in the top of each pocket, brush them all with the beaten egg and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm with Honey-Butter Snap Peas alongside.