Individual Salmon en Croute

Preparing the Spinach Filling

1. Put a wok or a large pan on medium heat and melt the butter.
2. Add the shallots and gently sauté them until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the garlic, salt, and freshly ground pepper, and then add the spinach leaves. Don’t worry if it’s all piled up as it will wilt quickly.
4. When the spinach wilts, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the spinach mixture to a fine sieve to get rid of the extra liquid.
5. Let the spinach filling cool down for a few minutes, transfer it into a bowl, and then add the cream cheese along with the parmesan. Stir well and set it aside.

Wrapping the Salmon Fillets

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
2. Remove the skin from the salmon fillets if you didn't get your fishmonger to do it for you.
3. Cut the salmon fillets in halves so that we can have nicely shaped rectangular parcels. Set them aside on a plate.
4. Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 4 equal rectangles.
5. Place 2 salmon pieces on the side of each of the puff pastries.
6. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts, and spread them evenly on salmon fillets. Smooth the spinach mixture out to avoid them falling over the sides.
7. Fold the empty side of the puff pastry over the salmon and press the edges to seal. 
8. Place them on a silicon paper-lined baking sheet and brush them with egg yolk.
9. Gently slit the top of the wrapped salmon parcels with a small sharp knife to create vents for steam to be released.
10. Bake them for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and flaky and the salmon fillets are cooked thoroughly.