Fare With A Flair: Spring flavours, painless pastry

Pastry-making has never been my forte. That’s why I’m grateful for store-bought frozen puff pastry. It’s easy to use and lends itself both to sweet and savory applications.

My recipe for easy salmon pot pies utilizes fresh chunks of salmon filet along with baby potatoes and spinach in a lovely cream sauce.

You can use either fresh dill or tarragon in this recipe. Once the squares of puff pastry are draped over the top of the mixture in a large ramekin, it’s a simple matter of popping them in the oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is starting to bubble around the edges.

Serve this with a big green salad or steamed green beans or asparagus.

Salmon Pot Pies

(Serves 4)

White Sauce:

1 1/2 tbsp. (37 ml) butter

3 tbsp. (45 ml) flour

1/4 c. (50 ml) white wine

1 1/4 c. (300 ml) 3% milk

salt and pepper

Filling:

2 tbsp. (25 ml) chopped tarragon or dill

2 tbsp. (25 ml) chopped parsley

2 cups (500 ml) chopped spinach

12 cooked baby potatoes cut in half

1 lb. (500m) salmon cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

Topping:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into 4 squares

Directions:

1. Make the white sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Slowly add the white wine whisking constantly.

2. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly and until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the dill (or tarragon) parsley and spinach.

3. Gently fold in the salmon and potatoes.

4. Butter four 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) ovenproof ramekins or small souffle dishes. Spoon the mixture into to the dish. Cover with puff pastry. Cut a slit in the middle of each piece of pastry.

5. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F. (200 C) oven for 30 minutes. Or until the pastry is puffed and golden and mixture is starting bubble around edges.