Salmon Wellington

I was so proud and surprised at how well this turned out!  I have only done a Wellington dish once before, years ago.  But this is surprisingly easy and so, so good.

A couple of things.  First, the recipe listed below is half of what the original recipe called for (see the original at www.allrecipes.com).  This made four hearty servings and since there are two of us, half of it was leftover so next time I may cut this in half.

Secondly, as the recipe states, it calls for 3/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup of dijon.  A full cup seemed a bit much for me, so I cut the mayo down to 1/2 cup (1/4 cup each of regular and reduced fat).  Even with the lessened amount, it seemed like way too much to put inside the puff pastry {I was afraid it would make the pastry soggy}, so I only used about half of it and served the other half on the side (it was great for dipping the salmon and also a nice addition to the asparagus, or would make a great dip for a simple grilled chicken or salmon).  A PERSONAL NOTE: I just heated up some leftovers (10 minutes in the NuWave) and having the sauce on the side really made it!  So I will definitely always keep half of the sauce on the side, purely for dipping.

Thirdly, I had sat out one package of the puff pastry a few hours before to thaw it, per instructions (you get two packages in one box).  It was warm and humid her yesterday and it ended up all sticking together.  I was afraid it wasn't going to work, but I just floured a cabinet surface and rolled it out like a pie crust.  So if this happens to you, don't worry.  Or just keep an eye on it and fold it out just as it begins to thaw.

And last of all, I used my NuWave oven and set it for 45 minutes (on the 1" rack) and the pastry and salmon came out perfectly.  And it didn't heat up my kitchen!  I have a feeling that by the end of summer, I'm going to become a NuWave spokesman.

SALMON WELLINGTON (4 servings)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 pound salmon fillet
1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/2 tsp dried leaf oregano
1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and wrung out
1/2 of a 17.3 oz package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 egg white, beaten

Preheat an oven to 375F (190C).

Sprinkle salt on both sides of the salmon.  Mix the thyme, oregano, basil, dill, mustard, and mayo in a small bowl and spread over the salmon, then sprinkle the feta cheese on top.  Layer the spinach over the feta cheese.

Roll the pastry out wide enough and long enough to wrap around the salmon, about 1/4" thickness.  Place the salmon in the center of the pastry and fold the pastry over the salmon.  Place the roll seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Cut several small slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape.  Brush the egg whites onto the pastry.

Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and and salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 45 minutes.

Recipe Source: www.allrecipes.com