Salmon Mushroom Coulibiac With Sour Cream Dill Sauce

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe to help use up the prodigious amounts of salmon in my freezer. It is a very attractive dish with a wonderful cream cheese pastry that will make people think you are a cooking superstar! This is best to make ahead of time as it is a bit of a futzy dish and then pop in the oven before your company is coming.

• Ready In: 26 hrs
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2  salmon fillets
• 1  egg yolk

• PASTRY

• 3⁄4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 2  teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

• FILLING

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 3  cups mushrooms, minced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1  onion, sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 cup long-grain rice
• 2  cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 2  tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

• SOUR CREAM DILL SAUCE

• 1  cup sour cream
• 2  tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. SOUR CREAM DILL SAUCE:
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. PASTRY:
4. In large bowl beat together cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt until fluffy.
5. Stir in flour just to blend.
6. Divide in half; shape into squares. Wrap each half in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm - about 1 hour.
7. FILLING:
8. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat half of oil over medium heat; fry mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper until no liquid remains, about 7 minutes.
9. Transfer to bowl.
10. In a saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Fry onion, garlic and remaining salt and pepper for 3 minutes.
11. Add rice and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
12. Add spinach and dill to rice mixture and fluff with fork. Let cool. (NOTE: It is important to let this mixture cool for as long as possible in order that it does not make the pastry soggy and difficult to work with - I unfortunately know this from experience.).
13. PREPARING COULIBIAC:
14. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of pastry to 10 inch square and about 1/8 inch thick.
15. Place on prepared pan. Spoon half of the rice mixture over pastry, leaving a 2 inch border.
16. Top with 1 salmon fillet; spread with mushroom mixture.
17. Top with remaining salmon fillet; spoon remaining rice mixture over the top.
18. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash; brush over border of pastry.
19. Roll out remaining pastry to 11 inch square; place on filling, smoothing around edge. Fold bottom edge over top edge, pressing to seal. Flute edges.
20. Brush egg wash over pastry; cut 4 steam vents on top. Bake in 350°F oven until golden, about 1 hour.
21. Let stand for 10 minutes. Using serrated knife, cut diagonally into quarters and then cut each quarter into half or thirds. Serve with Sour Cream Dill Sauce.