This Spanakopita Salmon Wellington features a side of salmon perched on top of a rich spinach and feta filling encased in buttery, crisp phyllo pastry.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Working in batches, wilt the spinach in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer the spinach to a bowl lined with cheesecloth and set it aside to cool. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, form it into a bundle and squeeze out the excess moisture. Discard the liquid and place the drained spinach in the bowl. Set it aside.
312g (11oz) baby spinach
Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat it until shimmering. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté the onion until just translucent. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the spinach.
1 yellow onion
To the spinach and the onion add the scallions, parsley, dill, and feta. Stir to combine and taste. Add additional salt accordingly. Stir in the couscous followed by the egg and set the mixture aside.
200g (7oz) feta cheese, 2 scallions, ¼ cup flat leaf parsely, ¼ cup dill, ¼ cup uncooked couscous, 1 large egg
Season the salmon on both sides with the salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Set it aside as well.
1 side salmon, 1 tsp demerar sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ lemon
Arrange a sheet of phyllo dough on the baking sheet. ** Brush the sheet all over with some of the butter. Place the next sheet on top and repeat until all 8 sheets are stacked on top of each other and brushed with butter.
½ cup butter, 8 sheets phyllo pastry
Place the salmon in the center of the pastry, skinned-side-up. Place the spinach filling on top of the salmon and fold all the edges of the phyllo dough towards the center, ensuring the seams overlap.
Place a cutting board on top of the wellington and invert the baking sheet. Slide the wellington back on top of the baking sheet and brush the surface with the remaining butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer the wellington to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
sesame seeds for sprinkling
When the wellington is golden, take it out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
** Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough under a piece of parchment paper with a damp towel on top. This will keep them from drying out without dampening them to the point that they stick together.