A classic combination of salmon, prawns, spinach, rice, fresh herbs and puff pastry brought together in perfect, tasteful harmony – aka, your Christmas Eve supper sorted!
Delicious served hot (with, perhaps, seasonal greens and Hollandaise Sauce?) or cold as part of a festive buffet, Coulibiac looks impressive but is surprisingly straightforward to make… especially when you use ready-made puff pastry.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
For the filling:
80g long grain rice
1 egg, beaten
200g small cooked prawns
1 gherkin, finely-chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely-chopped
1 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley, finely-chipped
1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
1 level tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the Coulibiac:
1 x 375g ready-made, all-butter puff pastry sheet
60g baby spinach leaves
400g centre-cut skinless salmon fillets
1 egg, beaten (plus 1 more beaten egg for sealing/glazing)
Method
To make the filling: cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Rinse in cold water, drain well and allow to cool. Mix the cooled rice with the beaten egg, cooked prawns, gherkin, dill, parsley, chives and lemon juice until well combined. Season to taste with salt and white pepper and set to one side.
To assemble the Coulibiac: preheat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 4 and unroll the puff pastry sheet onto a greaseproof paper-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle half of the baby spinach leaves across the base of one half of the pastry sheet, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge. Place half of the salmon fillets on top of the spinach leaves, then spread with the filling mixture. Place the remaining salmon fillets on top of the filling mixture to make a nicely tucked-in ‘sandwich’, then cover with the remaining spinach leaves.
Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and carefully cover the salmon filling with the clear half of the puff pastry sheet. Use the edges of your hands to create a snug fit, then seal the edges of the pastry parcel together with your fingers (or crimp with a fork) and trim off any excess.
Using a sharp knife, cut 3-4 small holes in the top of the Coulibiac then brush all over with beaten egg. Transfer to the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, reglazing with more beaten egg and giving it a 180° turn around halfway through the cooking time.
If serving hot, allow the Coulibiac to ‘settle’ for 10 minutes before slicing.