Recipe - Salmon And Rice Wrapped In Pastry With Dill Sauce

SALMON, RICE, PASTRY
One half cup Longgrain white rice
2 tablespoon (One fourth stick) butter
One half cup Minced leek; (white and pale
green parts only)
6 ounce Fresh shittake mushrooms;
stemmed, chopped
2 Sheets frozen puff pastry;
(one 17 1/4ounce package),
thawed
4 6ounce skinless salmon
fillet; 4x2 1/2inch
1 Egg beaten with
1 tablespoon Water

DILL SAUCE
2/3 cup Bottled clam juice
One half cup Dry white wine
1 One fourth cup Creme fraiche or whipping
cream
3 tablespoon Minced fresh dill

Start this romantic supper with Russian caviar and icecold lemon vodka.
The main course is a simplified but impressive interpretation of the
Russian fish pie known as kulebiaka, which the French call coulibiac. Offer
Champagne with the entree, and finish the meal with babas au rhum from a
French bakery to complete the crossEuropean elegance.

For salmon, rice, pastry: Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil.
Add rice; boil uncovered until just tender, about 18 minutes. Drain.

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over mediumlow heat. Add leek; saute
until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cover skillet;
cook until mushrooms release their juices, stirring occasionally, about 5
minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to mediumhigh; saute until liquid
evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add rice. Season with salt
and pepper. Cool completely.

Butter large baking sheet. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on floured surface to
12inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Divide rice mixture among centers
of squares, mounding in oval shape with ends toward 2 corners of pastry.
Set salmon atop rice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring pastry corners
up around salmon (pastry will not enclose salmon completely.) Roll out
remaining pastry sheet on floured surface to 13inch square. Cut into 4
equal squares. Lay 1 square atop each salmon fillet, tucking corners under
bottom pastry to enclose salmon completely. Pinch edges together to seal,
brushing with egg mixture if necessary to adhere. Arrange salmon packages,
seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Can
be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Brush top of pastry with egg mixture. Bake
until golden and thermometer inserted into fish registers 145 deg. F, about
30 minutes.

For dill sauce: Combine clam juice and wine in heavy small nonaluminum
saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to
medium. Whisk in creeme fraiche. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 5
minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in dill. Season with salt and pepper.

If creme fraiche is unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85
deg. F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and
let stand in warm draftfree area until slightly thickened (24 to 48 hours,
depending on temperature of room). Refrigerate until ready to use.

Transfer salmon packages to plates. Spoon Dill Sauce around and serve.

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