Salmon and prawns en croûte recipe

1. Place the spinach in a colander and pour over boiling water until the spinach wilts. 
2. In a large frying pan, fry the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another minute. 
3. Stir in the prawns and cook over a high heat until pink and cooked through. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and mint, until the cheese melts and the mixture comes together. Add the lime zest and juice, lemon juice, and season well with salt and pepper. 
4. Once slightly cooled, press the spinach against the sides of the colander to drain the liquid, then roughly chop and stir through the prawn mix. Set aside to cool. 
5. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. 
6. Unroll the pastry sheet and cut down the width to make two pieces. On one piece, make diagonal scores with a knife, about 1cm apart, leaving a border of 3cm. Don't worry if the knife cuts through the pastry. Place the other piece on a baking sheet lined with baking paper – this will be the base. Brush with egg and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over an area the size of the fish fillet (this is like a base for the fish).Place the salmon on the breadcrumbs. 
7. Spoon the cooled prawn mixture on top of the salmon. Place the scored pastry over the fish and prawns, and pinch together the edges to seal. Using a fork, crimp the edges to create a pattern and secure the seal. 
8. Brush with egg and bake in the oven for 25 mins until golden brown and cooked through. 
9. Serve with lemon or lime wedges, watercress to garnish and steamed broccoli spears or green beans.

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Tips: You can prepare this ahead of time and leave it in the fridge, covered, for one day before baking from Step 8.

You can freeze the salmon en croute once assembled. Remove from the freezer and allow to defrost for 2 hrs before cooking.

To remove the skin from a fillet of fish, ask the fishmonger to do this for you or have a go at home. You’ll need a large, sharp knife. Lay the fish skin-side dow n on a chopping board, thin end of the fillet on the left. Hold the thin end with your left fingers, then take the knife and cut through the fish fillet but not the skin, just to the right of your fingers, about 2cm in from the end of the fish so you have something to grip with your left fingers. Now , run the sharp knife in between the fish fillet and the skin, the blade facing the board at a 45 degree angle, slicing the fillet off the skin as you move the knife to the right. While you angle and move the knife with your right hand, your left hand is holding the end of the skin part and pulling to help move the knife along. A sawing action helps glide the knife through the fish, while holding onto the skin with your left hand and pulling it aw ay to aid moving the knife.