Fish baked “en croûte” is just a fancy culinary term to describe the method of baking it wrapped in puff pastry or pastry dough. Today I am going to show you how to make delicious salmon in filo pastry; a much easier–and certainly healthier–alternative to this classic, special-occasion dish!
Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need two salmon fillets, a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach, a few aromatics, mustard, lemon, olive oil and of course, filo dough. The convenience of having a package of filo, already thawed in the refrigerator, has helped me many times to come up with something delicious for dinner in a snap. Those of you who have been following my blog for sometime now know that I consider filo a staple that I use often in my Mediterranean recipes!
Substitutes
Salmon is a healthy fish, rich in Omega 3 and so good for us. It works well in this recipe because it cooks quickly and is perfectly done in the time that the filo dough needs to get that beautiful golden-brown color. You can substitute for other fish fillets of similar thickness, like halibut, cod or hake, which would be equally delicious. Spinach is easy to find and readily available, however, leeks would also go well here, as would sautéed, sliced mushrooms or even diced asparagus (when in season).
The components of this recipe
All the components can be made ahead of time:
- Salmon fillets: prepare the marinade, brush it on the fish and set aside.
- Spinach mixture: this is a nutritious, dairy-free and egg-free mixture that you can prepare well ahead of time.
- Filo pastry: keep it stored in the refrigerator until you need it. A good quality filo, like Fillo Factory, will make it really easy to work with.
Once the dish is assembled, you can refrigerate it for several hours and bake it later in the day.
Step by Step How to Make Delicious Salmon in Filo Pastry
- Prepare the salmon marinade, spread it over the fish, and set aside
- Place the salmon on a stack of filo pastry
- Top the salmon fillets with the spinach mixture. Cut the filo stack in half
- Fold the filo dough over the salmon to create two little parcels
- Brush some olive oil over the top and bake for 25 minutes
- Filo-wrapped salmon just out of the oven!
- Let it cool down and then slice each one into four (or more) pieces
This recipe serves at least four people as a main course and eight as a beautiful appetizer. I like to accompany it with a bright green salad and garnish it with some fresh dill as well. If there are any leftovers, they reheat easily, uncovered and in a low-temperature oven. I hope this recipe inspires you to make it sometime, especially when you need an easy and impressive salmon dish! I promise you that you will not be disappointed!
- For the salmon and salmon marinade:
- 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- ½-1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 2-3 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 x 8oz. salmon fillets, boneless & skinless (1 lb. total)
- For the spinach mixture:
- 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 med. shallot, minced
- 1 spring onion, minced
- --- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1 TBSP. fresh dill, minced
- For the filo pastry:
- 6 sheets of filo pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- (I used Fillo Factory)
- 5 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- --- fresh dill for topping
- Mix 2 TBSP. of olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, and the freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl to make a marinade. Pat the salmon fillets dry then brush the marinade mixture evenly over both sides of the fish and set aside.
- Add the shallot and green onion to a hot skillet set over medium heat. Season it with some sea salt and pepper to taste and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions and shallots are soft. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for a few more minutes until it wilts and reduces in volume. Add the fresh dill, mix it well and remove from the heat. Set aside to let it cool.
- Heat the oven to 375° F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Open the package of your room-temperature filo pastry and unroll it. Place one sheet of the filo on a clean surface and brush with some olive oil. Top the filo it with a second sheet of filo and brush it with some olive oil too. Repeat this process with four more sheets of filo, brushed with olive oil, so you end up with a stack of six sheets of filo pastry. Rewrap the unused filo and return to the refrigerator for another use.
- Center the salmon fillets across the filo, about two inches in from each end (see photo) and cut the filo stack in half lengthwise, so you have a piece of salmon centered on each 9” x 14” stack. Divide the cooled spinach mixture in half and spoon it over the two salmon fillets and spread it evenly. Slide the salmon down to about one-third from the bottom of the stack, fold the sides of the filo towards the center (about an inch on each side), and then roll up the filo to completely enclose the salmon and create a little parcel. Place the filo parcel on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the second fillet of salmon.
- Brush the outside of both the filo parcels with a bit more olive oil. If you wish, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Score the top layers of the filo a few times with a serrated knife and transfer the baking sheet into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes. At this point, the top of the filo parcels should be golden brown and crispy (if the top starts browning too quickly, lay a piece of foil over it very loosely). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the salmon sit for at least 3 minutes before slicing.
- To serve, cut each filo parcel into four pieces and enjoy with a green salad on the side.
This recipe is a collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find their very thin filo (#4) and the thicker, country style filo (#7), at Wegman’s and Whole Foods!
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What a snazzy salmon dish! I can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, Marilena!
– Ratatouille
I am so glad you like it! It is certainly an impressive salmon dish, but it couldn’t be easier to prepare — I hope the step-by-step photos are helpful! ?
Hello, could I make this in advance and freeze the fully-made parcels? Then cook from frozen on the day I want them? Also, for a gluten-free option, can I use gluten free-free puff pastry? Trying to cook for multiple guest with different dietary requirements for Christmas! Many thanks
Hi Bridget,
Yes, you can freeze them and bake the parcels when you need them. Bring them to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, while you preheat the oven and slightly adjust the cooking time if necessary!
If you can find gluten-free puff pastry, you can certainly use it. Wishing you good luck!
Thank you Marilena! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. Best wishes (from Scotland)
I tried this for the first time for company and it was success. Not difficult to prepare. Be careful that the salmon fillets are not too wide for the phyllo dough. Makes a lovely presentation. The cook time was petgrvt
I am so glad you tried my recipe, Leland! Thank you for sharing and for rating my recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! Elevated salmon on all levels. The flavors, textures and presentation well received with rave reviews from my husband. A ‘must make’ recipe! Thank you Marilena for sharing your knowledge and recipe!!!
Thank you so much Susan! I am so glad you tried my salmon in filo pastry recipe and so happy to know you and your husband liked it so much!
This looks gorgeous! I’m hosting 6 for dinner Sunday, could I do this with one entire side of salmon? And then slice afterwards or better to do in fillets? Thanks so much!
Hi Chantel, I would use center cut salmon fillets (8 oz. each) to ensure even cooking! Each one will serve two people! Good luck with your dinner!
Had friends for lunch today & made this. Absolutely delicious & looked very impressive too! Thanks for sharing
I didn’t realize filo came in different thicknesses! Which thickness would you use for this recipe? What kind of recipes should be cooked in the thin filo dough vs. the thicker filo dough? I love salmon Wellington but have always used puff pastry and it tends to overcook because of the type of pastry. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have a sauce that you would recommend serving with this, preferably without cheese?
For this recipe, I used the thinner one, but you could use either one! If you choose the thicker one, you can probable use fewer sheets of filo.
Typically the thinner filo is for desserts, like baklava, or more delicate savory dishes. It is really a matter of preference, I would suggest to try both of them and see which one you prefer!
Made this tonigbt with shredded courgette instead of spinach and added cumin, leek and a touch of chilli. It was delish. Had to cook mine longer (40 minutes) coz it was too far down the oven. Didn’t quite need as much oil either.
I am in New Zealand and it was 10:00 pm when the message was posted ?
Hi Sally, So glad to know that you liked it so much! It sounds like a delicious variation to the original recipe:)
I made this for my wife and I. She was effusive in her praise; ebullient! Like she’d been reborn, seeing the world for the fist time in all its colour and glory. She basically orgasmed gastronomically. Will 100% make it again!
That’s wonderful, JayDee!
Could i do appitizer size and freeze them to pop in oven whenever??
H Marianne,
I am afraid that appetizer size portions would be too small to bake without drying out and they might not even hold their shape!.
Really looking forward to making this recipe!
I’m just wondering if it’ll be ok to prepare the phyllo wrapped salmon a day in advance.
Hi Beverly,
Even though, I have never tried to prepare it a day in advance, I would imagine, that there should not be a problem. I have done that with vegetarian fillings without a problem, just not with protein….
Make sure your wrap it well before you refrigerate it and also, allow it to stay at room temperature for an hour before baking the next day…. Please share your results, I would love to know!
Hi there,
I tried preparing the wrapped salmon a day in advance. I had about 15 individually wrapped salmon fillets. I covered them loosely with saran wrap and placed them in a tightly covered container. The next day they did look a bit soggy, but I brushed some melted butter on top before baking. They turned out well! Thank you for a great recipe!
Wow! To wrap 15 individual pieces of salmon in filo is a labor of love! I am so glad to know that everything turned out well, thank you for letting us know!
Hi there, can you please tell me if I freeze these uncooked, is it better to thaw them first to cook or cook them from frozen?.
Thank you so much! I have made this a few times and it is quite delicious. Just never frozen before
Hi Kami,
I am so glad you like this recipe so much! To be honest with you, I have never frozen them before, because in this case, the salmon will need more time in the oven than the thin filo pastry…. I generally do not defrost anything made with filo (or puff pastry). Doing so before baking, would completely change the consistency of the filo. If you want to try it, I would suggest removing one portion from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven, then bake adding a couple more minutes until the filo turns golden brown and crispy. I hope this helps!