SALMON WELLINGTON TWO WAYS
One meal. Two versions. The whole family fed.
This feels like a bit of a showstopper, but it’s actually incredibly simple to put together. The adult version combines salmon with prawns, dill and horseradish cream cheese, spinach and Parma ham, all wrapped up in golden puff pastry.
For our Tiny Feasters, the same meal is stripped right back — salmon, spinach and a simple dill cream cheese filling wrapped into individual little pastry parcels.
Serve with new potatoes and steamed vegetables, with a buttery beurre blanc or creamy watercress sauce for the adults.
Serves 4 Adults and 3 Tiny Feaster
Ingredients
For both versions
500g salmon fillet, ideally one large piece
150g fresh spinach
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, for glazing
Adult version
130g cream cheese
130g prawns, raw or cooked
2 tsp dill
2 tsp horseradish sauce
Small pinch of salt
Around 5 slices Parma ham
Tiny Feaster version
65g cream cheese
1 tsp dill
Method
1. Start with the spinach
Steam the spinach until just wilted, then leave it to cool.
Once cool, place it in a clean tea towel, gather up the edges and wring out as much liquid as you possibly can.
Don’t skip this bit! Removing as much moisture as possible will help you get lovely crisp pastry rather than a soggy Wellington.
Roughly chop the spinach and set aside.
2. Mix the fillings
For the adult version, add 130g cream cheese, 2 teaspoons of dill, 2 teaspoons of horseradish and a small pinch of salt to a bowl and stir together.
For the Tiny Feaster version, simply mix 65g cream cheese with 1 teaspoon of dill in a separate bowl.
3. Prepare the salmon
If you’re using one large salmon fillet, you’ll probably find that one end is considerably thinner than the other.
Slice off this thinner section, leaving yourself with a more evenly sized, almost fillet-steak-shaped piece of salmon for the adult Wellington. Not only does this give you the perfect amount for the Tiny Feaster parcels, it also means your main piece of salmon will cook much more evenly.
Remove the skin if needed and carefully check all the salmon for bones.
Take the thinner piece you’ve removed and roughly chop it into small pieces for the Tiny Feaster parcels.
4. Assemble the adult Wellington
Place the large piece of salmon on a board.
Spread the dill and horseradish cream cheese mixture generously over the top.
Arrange the 130g prawns over the cream cheese.
You can use either raw or cooked prawns here. I used cooked prawns that I already had in the freezer. If using frozen prawns, defrost them completely and pat them really well with kitchen paper to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
Top with around two-thirds of the spinach.
Finally, lay around 5 slices of Parma ham over the top. You can completely wrap the salmon in the Parma ham if you’d like, but I simply lay the slices across the top.
Take around two-thirds of the puff pastry sheet and wrap it around the salmon and filling.
Bring the pastry over the top, tuck it underneath and make sure everything is snugly enclosed without too much air trapped inside.
Place seam-side down on a lined baking tray.
5. Make the Tiny Feaster parcels
Cut the remaining third of the pastry into 3 squares.
Divide the remaining spinach between them, followed by the dill cream cheese mixture and the roughly chopped salmon.
Fold the pastry around each filling to create three individual little Wellingtons, pinching the joins together and placing them seam-side down.
6. Chill
Pop both the large Wellington and the little parcels into the fridge for 1–2 hours.
This gives everything time to firm up and helps the pastry hold its shape beautifully when it hits the hot oven.
7. Bake
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan.
Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg.
Bake the adult Wellington for approximately 25 -30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and beautifully golden and the salmon is cooked through.
The smaller Tiny Feaster parcels won’t need as long. Start checking them after around 12–15 minutes, making sure the salmon is thoroughly cooked before serving.
Allow the little parcels to cool appropriately before serving.
⸻
Lemon Beurre Blanc
This is my favourite sauce to serve alongside the adult Wellington. It’s buttery and silky but has enough acidity to cut through the rich salmon and puff pastry.
Ingredients
1 small shallot, very finely chopped
100ml dry white wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
150g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Black pepper
Method
Add the shallot, white wine and vinegar to a small saucepan.
Gently simmer until the liquid has reduced right down to just a couple of tablespoons.
Turn the heat to its lowest setting and gradually whisk in the cold butter, a few cubes at a time. Let each addition melt and emulsify into the sauce before adding the next.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and black pepper.
Keep warm over a very gentle heat until you’re ready to serve. Don’t let it boil once the butter has been added or the sauce may split.
⸻
Creamy Watercress Sauce
If you’d prefer something green and fresh alongside your Wellington, this is another gorgeous option.
Ingredients
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp butter
100ml vegetable or fish stock
100ml double cream
60g watercress
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Black pepper
Salt, if needed
Method
Gently soften the shallot in the butter without letting it colour.
Pour in the stock and simmer until reduced by approximately half.
Add the double cream and simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add the watercress and cook very briefly, just until wilted.
Blitz until smooth, then finish with a squeeze of lemon and some black pepper. Taste before adding any salt, particularly as the Parma ham already brings plenty of seasoning to the dish.
To serve
Serve thick slices of the adult salmon Wellington with buttery new potatoes, steamed seasonal vegetables and plenty of warm beurre blanc or watercress sauce alongside.
Serve the Tiny Feaster parcels with soft new potatoes and steamed vegetables prepared in an age-appropriate size and texture.
Both versions are perfect for making ahead. Assemble them, cover and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to bake.
They can also be frozen if all of the ingredients you’re using are suitable for refreezing.
Important: if you’re using previously frozen cooked prawns that you’ve defrosted to make the adult Wellington, do not freeze the uncooked assembled Wellington unless the prawn packaging specifically states that the prawns are suitable for refreezing after defrosting.
Instead, keep that Wellington refrigerated and cook it fresh.
If you’re using fresh/raw prawns that haven’t previously been frozen, the assembled Wellington can be frozen, provided all the other ingredients are suitable for freezing.
Once cooked, leftovers can generally be frozen provided the ingredients have been handled, cooked and cooled safely.
If cooking a suitable Wellington from frozen, extend the cooking time and always check that the centre is piping hot and the salmon is completely cooked before serving.
