Salmon Coulibiak
Submitted by rcd17
Russian salmon coulibiac: flaked salmon, rice, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, and dill wrapped in flaky puff pastry. A showstopper main course with deep Russian roots.
YIELD
6 to 8 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
11 hrsCoulibiac (kulebyaka in Russian) is the grand-old centerpiece of the Russian Easter table, and once made it onto Escoffier’s French menus too. This is the home-cook version: flaky puff pastry wrapped around a layered filling of salmon, rice, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, dill, and béchamel.
The layering order is deliberate. Rice goes on the bottom and top, sandwiching everything else. As written in the directions: the rice acts as a sponge, soaking up the juices from the salmon and béchamel so the pastry never goes soggy underneath. Skip that detail and you get a beautifully golden shell with a wet, gluey base.
The egg-yolk glaze on the pastry seams is what locks it shut during baking. Cold puff pastry edges won’t fuse on their own; the yolk acts as an edible glue and crisps to a deep gold.
Slits in the top of the pastry are essential, not decorative. They let steam escape, otherwise the pressure can blow the lid off or leave the inside soggy and undercooked.
The fish-shape decoration with dough cutouts (eyes, fins, scales) is the traditional Russian flourish and the visual payoff that makes coulibiac a centerpiece dish.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh poached salmon if you can, but canned salmon (as the recipe specifies) is the classic Russian shortcut and works beautifully.
- Saute the mushrooms and onions until ALL the liquid evaporates. Wet mushrooms = soggy pastry, no exceptions.
- Chill the assembled coulibiac for at least 30 minutes before baking. Cold pastry rises taller and crisper in the oven.
- Make the béchamel slightly thicker than you’d serve over fish. It loosens during baking from the steam released by the salmon.
Variations
- Use a wild rice and white rice blend for more texture and a nuttier flavor.
- Add a layer of sautéed spinach for color and a vegetable note.
- Substitute smoked salmon for a third of the canned for a more pronounced smoky depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Thaw puff pastry in refrigerator overnight.
Flake salmon, discarding bones but reserving juices to add to white sauce.
Mince mushrooms and onions; sauté in butter and lemon juice until liquid has evaporated.
Chill (or freeze) in airtight container, if preparing in advance.
Hard-cook the 3 eggs.
Peel and slice.
Make the bechamel sauce, adding juice from salmon.
Lightly grease a large cookie sheet (12 x 18"); set aside.
On pastry cloth, roll out pastry dough to form a rectangle about 12 x 15” and about ¼ inch thick.
To assemble the dish, build layers along the center of dough as follows.
Season each well. Spoon on: half the rice; half the mushroom-onion mixture; ⅓ the white sauce; all the flaked salmon; ⅓ white sauce; fresh dill sprigs; sliced eggs; rest of mushroom-onion blend; rest of white sauce; and rest of rice.
(Note: The rice absorbs cooking juices and keeps pastry from being soggy.)
Season top.
Fold dough over filling, folding and turning up ends.
Cut off any excess dough.
Seal pastry edges on top and at each end with egg yolk glaze (one egg yolk mixed with a little milk or water).
Note: I like to shape the dough into a fish shape, head and tail at either end.
Brush pastry with glaze.
Carefully lift ends of pastry cloth and roll coulibiak over onto greased cookie sheet so seam is on the bottom.
Decorate top with cutouts of leftover dough (make eyes, fins and scales if desired).
Be sure to put several slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape.
Assembled coulibiak can be refrigerated up to several hours before baking if necessary.
Bake in a preheated 400℉ (200℃). oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crust is golden and juices start to appear.
Watch crust carefully. If browning too quickly, turn heat down to 375℉ (190℃). and cook 10 minutes longer.
Allow to stand 10 minutes at room temperature.
To serve, loosen bottom of coulibiak with 2 spatulas and slide onto a heated platter or serving tray.
Slice into crosswise pieces to serve.
Comments
