Salmon Wellington with Shrimp Mousse

I am sure that you wondered if I am going to blog any longer. Here I am and back to blog some good recipes for your pleasure after taking care of myself on recovering, get better and get stronger. Started to get my old self that my wife is happy to have me around and put up with my sick sense of humor--very "noir". Even mowing my front yard for first time last Saturday. Congrats me later.

Here is good salmon recipe for your pleasure. Will work on getting recipes for you, my favorite foodies. Well I got many ideas that I want to do with my blog--my "new" blog design, it looks all right to me after trying to figure what I want to remove or add on my "own"--hahahah--template.

Also, enjoyed my inspiration from reading a book about food writing. Yes, it gave me some good advice about how to "write" in my own words, not their English Teacher who always criticized my grammar or synatix or my personal hygiene or whatever the hell that teacher point at me as an excellent bad writer--hooray for me. If she don't like me, she will put me to write on blackboard--"I will write good grammar" for hundered times or until I fell down with so so so so numb arm. I survived many time--don't remember how many I did since I am little retarded from writing something same thing all again and again but very educational with taking care of my numb arm and callous chalky fingers.

Here is my blackboard writings:

I will write good grammar

I will write good grammar

IIII wiiillll wrrrrrrittteee good gggggrrrrrrammar.

I need to stop, my arm started to numb. Thank you for reading. Go, go, go reading the recipe.

Salmon Wellington with Shrimp Mousse

Serves 6

Six 6 to 7 ounce fresh salmon filets

2 sheets of puff pastry - thawed

Thaw according to directions. Pepperidge Farms makes a puff pastry which is available in most grocery stores.

2 eggs

1/4 cup cream

For the mousse:

8 ounces of shrimp, cooked

4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh basil or sage, coarsely chopped

3 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

a pinch of salt and pepper

To make the mousse:

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add the shrimp. Pulse to coarsely chop. Add the cream cheese, herbs, garlic and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine. Remove to a bowl until ready to use.

To prepare the salmon:

1. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and cream. Have a pastry brush ready. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Set aside.

2. On a work surface, place on sheet of puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to extend the size of the puff pastry by carefully rolling out all sides. Cut the pastry into four equal rectangular pieces.

3. Place a piece of salmon in the middle of each pastry piece.

4. Carefully spread some of the mousse mixture on top of each piece of salmon. Flip salmon pieces over so the mousse mixture is flush against the pastry.

5. Brush the exposed sides of pastry with the egg/cream mixture. Bring the long side of pastry up around the salmon so they overlap. Press the ends gently to adhere. Trim excess pastry off of the ends.

6. Bring the short ends of the pastry up and press to adhere.

7. Place the salmon on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down/mousse side up. Brush entire pastry with egg/cream mixture.

8. Roll out remaining pastry. Cut in half. With one half, made two more rectangles and prepare the remaining salmon. With the remaining half of pastry, cut decorations out to adhere to the salmon wellingtons. You can free form a design such as leaves or use a small cookie cutter. Place cut outs on the salmon and brush the top of the cut outs with egg wash.

9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Refrigerate the salmon for 15 minutes while oven is preheating. Salmon can prepared the morning before your dinner and refrigerated. Cover the salmon lightly with saran wrap if not using immediately.

10. Place the salmon in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature. Remove from oven. To serve - place a pool of raspberry sauce on the bottom of each plate. Place wellington on top of sauce and garnish with simply stir fry vegetables. For a more unusual presentation, cut the wellington in half on a diagonal. Place one piece on the sauce. Tilt the other piece, resting it on the side of the piece of salmon wellington which is already on the plate. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or fresh thyme.

Raspberry Balsamic Sauce:

1 1/2 cups white wine

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 coarsely chopped shallots

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup raspberry puree (see below)

3/4 cup apple or cherry juice

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1. Combine the white wine, balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic and lemon juice. Simmer on medium heat until reduced by half - about 20 minutes. Strain mixture.

2. Add the raspberry puree and apple juice. Simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Combine the arrowroot / cornstarch with the water. Add slowly, a little at a time, to the sauce until the sauce thickens.

Sauce can be made ahead, cooled and refrigerated. Reheat when ready to use.

Raspberry Puree:

2 cups of frozen raspberries (individual quick frozen - unsweetened)

1/2 cup of sugar (or to taste)

1. Thaw raspberries. When thawed, place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.

2. Add the sugar. Taste. Add additional sugar if sauce needs more sweetening.

3. Pulse to combine.

4. Strain sauce to remove seeds. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

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