Ingredients
- 500g ready-made puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
- 650g chunky salmon fillet
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
- 75g unsalted butter
- 2 pieces stem ginger, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Beat the butter until smooth, then beat in the ginger, coriander, nutmeg, cayenne and seasoning. Cut the salmon into thin slices about 1cm (½in) thick. Season.
- Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface and cut out a 30cm (12in) circle, using a dinner plate as a guide. Place on a dampened baking sheet. Arrange slices of salmon on it, leaving a border of 1½cm (¾in), then top with the ginger butter. Arrange the rest of the salmon over the butter. Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut another circle for the top. Brush the edges with water and top with the pastry, pressing the edges to seal. Mark the top with a knife to give a diamond pattern, then chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Brush the pithivier with beaten egg and cook in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for a further 20 minutes until puffy and golden.
Notes
A pithivier is a sweet French puff-pastry speciality, traditionally served at Christmas. This is a savoury version with a festive mix of salmon, stem ginger and spices. Frozen salmon can be used for convenience, but remove from the freezer at least 8 hours before you need it and defrost in a cool place — cook the pithivier within 3 hours of assembling if using frozen fish. Serve with new potatoes.