Salmon Coulibiac
From Nordic Bakery Cookbook; Miisa Mink
Pastry
250g Unsalted Butter, softened
250g quark cheese
250g strong white bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Put the butter and quark in a mixing bowl and beat together until well mixed.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder, tip the dry ingredients into the butter / cheese mixture and mix until a dough forms.
Roll the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
Gravadlax
Take a salmon fillet (approx 600g) and sprinkle with about 2 tbsp of coarse sea salt, 1 tsp of caster sugar and scatter about 15 / 20 g of fresh dill (torn onto small pieces) over the top. This will cure quite nicely overnight in the fridge, or if you want to compress the fish further then wrap it tightly in greaseproof. I cut the fish in half and put one half on top of the other, skin sides to the outside, and then wrap, keeping the marinade in the centre. You can also add vodka or cognac to your marinade if you choose.
Pie
180g short grain rice (uncooked weight) - cooked and cool
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced about 1.5cm thick
1 beaten egg for glazing
1 portion Gravadlax
Fresh dill - chopped
Using a sharp knife take slices of the gravadlax off the skin. Slice down through the fish and then take it away from the skin.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 220 deg C / Gas 7.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and remove the clingfilm, divide it into two portions roughly one third to two thirds. Roll out the smaller portion to form a rectangle around 30 x 25 cm. Place this on the prepared baking tray.
Layer up the ingredients, put the rice on first, leaving a 2cm border around the edge, then put on the salmon pieces to form the next layer and finally the egg slices.
Roll the second piece of pastry to a size large enough to cover the layers and to be able to seal them in. Brush the lower pastry border with beaten egg and place the second piece on top, forming the pasty shape.
If you have any pastry left over, cut into thin strips and decorate your pie with a lattice.
Brush the pie with the rest of the beaten egg and prick the pie in a few places with a fork. Place the pie in the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.
Eat warm or cold.