Classic filo pastry and succulent salmon go brilliantly with scented butter in this lovely freeze-ahead Thai recipe
Ingredients
- 125g butter, softened
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (we like Thai Taste, from supermarkets)
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- Handful chopped fresh coriander
- 12 sheets fresh filo pastry
- 4 x 125g skinless salmon fillets
Method
- 1. In a small bowl, mix half the butter with the curry paste, lime zest and coriander. Season, wrap in cling film and shape into a log. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
- 2. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan over a low heat. Trim the filo to rectangles about 18 x 26cm. Brush 1 rectangle with a little butter. Top with another rectangle, brush again with butter and finish with a third filo rectangle. Repeat until you have 4 piles of filo pastry.
- 3. Place a salmon fillet, skinned-side down, in the centre of each filo pile. Cut the Thai butter into discs and put 2 along each fillet. Bring up 2 edges of pastry over the salmon to enclose. Brush the open ends with butter, and fold up and over to seal. Put on a baking sheet and brush with butter.
- 4. Open-freeze for 2 hours until solid, then store in a food bag, label and freeze for up to 2 months.
- 5. To cook, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and put in a baking sheet to heat up. Once hot, put the frozen parcels on the sheet and cook for 25 minutes, until golden. Serve with stir-fried vegetables.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 555kcals, 40.9g fat (19.5g saturated), 28.4g protein, 18.6g carbs, 0.2g sugar, 0.9g salt
Chef's tip
To eat straightaway, prepare up to the end of step 3, then continue from step 5 – but only cook the parcels for 15 minutes. Filo dries out and cracks quickly, so cover it with a clean, damp tea towel while you’re making the filo piles.
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: Chime in with the exotic spices here by picking an unusual aromatic white, like Gewürztraminer or Australian Riesling.