Serve hot or cold, as an entrée or main course
Serves 6
Preparation time 30 minutes
Total cooking time 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pâte feuilletée,
or 2 packets puff pastry
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) fresh skinless salmon
1 small bunch dill
5 eggs
300 ml (101/2 fl oz) thin (pouring) cream
3 teaspoons pastis (anise-flavoured liqueur)
2 French shallots
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
1 small bunch basil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
METHOD
Salmon filling
1 Cut 200 g (7 oz) of the salmon into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices.
2 Pluck the dill leaves. Process the rest of the salmon with the dill, 4 eggs, the cream and the pastis in a food processor until smooth.
3 Finely chop the shallots. Add the fennel seeds and chopped shallots to the salmon mixture, then season. Pluck the basil leaves.
Assembly and cooking
4 Divide the dough in half and roll out two rectangles of the same size until about 3 mm (¹⁄8 inch) thick.
5 Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay one rectangle of dough on top. Spread over half the salmon mixture, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 inch) border all around. Cover with basil leaves and slices of salmon, then spread over the remaining mixture.
6 Whisk the remaining egg and use it to glaze the edges. Cover with the second piece of pastry. Seal the two rectangles of pastry dough together by pinching the edges. Glaze the top of the pie and scatter with the poppy seeds. Bake at 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) for 45 minutes.
Recipes and images from Pies and Tarts by Stephane Reynaud, Murdoch Books, rrp $49.99, photographed by Marie-Pierre Morel.
