Salmon might not seem like the most budget-friendly food at the moment, but keep in mind that this pie contains only one fish fillet and feeds six people as a main dish. Don’t feel limited to the more expensive лосось (wild salmon). Сёмга (Atlantic salmon) and горбуша (humpback salmon) will work well too.
And if you’re put off by the thought of making your own puff pastry, store-bought dough is perfectly fine.
Tip: Much of this recipe can be made ahead of time. In fact, the whole pie can be made in advance and refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap or foil, for a couple of days before reheating.
4 eggs
2 ½ tbsp (30g) butter
1 fillet of salmon, approximately 250g
½ red onion, chopped
1 cup (200g) rice
1 ½ cup (400ml) vegetable or fish stock, or water
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of coriander
1 egg, for glazing
1 package pre-made puff pastry
Dill, for garnish
First, hard boil the eggs (around 10 minutes), then rinse under cold water and set aside.
Next, make the rice. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the onion until soft, around 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat in butter, then add the stock. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature and cook until tender, around 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake the salmon fillet in the oven for around 15 minutes. You will know when it’s done because the fish will be flaky, with uniform color.
Now all you have to do is assemble the coulibiac. The puff pastry will likely come in two separate squares. Take both squares and roll out until they are each about the length and width of a standard magazine. Set one piece aside. Laying one piece flat on a baking tray, take about ¾ of the rice and put it in the middle of the dough, leaving a border of a few centimeters on all sides.
Flake the salmon and place it on top of the rice.
Take the hard-boiled eggs, peel and slice them, then place on top of the salmon. Top with the remaining rice.
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F).
Now take your remaining sheet of puff pastry and place it on top of the pie. Seal all of the edges, using the egg glaze as “glue.” If you want to get creative, cut thin strips from all sides of the pastry and cross them over the top, making a kind of lattice pattern. Note that unlike shortcrust pies, you don’t want to cut any ventilation holes into the crust here.
Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg and put the coulibiac in the oven for around 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and cook for another 20 minutes, making sure the top doesn’t burn. Leave to cool.