Anne Morgan Delia Smith’s salmon coulibiac sounds like something a professional kitchen would make, but the whole thing is just salmon, rice, eggs, and dill inside puff pastry. I put off making it for years because the name intimidated me, and that was a waste of time.
This salmon coulibiac recipe comes from Delia’s Winter Collection and serves 6 as a main course. You pre-cook everything, let it cool, wrap it in pastry, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until the outside is deep golden and the filling is hot through.
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What Is a Salmon Coulibiac
A coulibiac is a Russian fish pie, originally made with sturgeon and called kulebyaka. Delia’s version uses salmon, wild rice, hard-boiled eggs, and dill, all wrapped in puff pastry rather than the traditional brioche dough.
The rice is not filler: it sits between the fish and the pastry and absorbs the juices as the parcel bakes, which is why the pastry stays crisp instead of going soggy. That detail is the difference between a coulibiac that works and one that falls apart when you slice it.
Salmon Coulibiac Ingredients
The Pastry:
- 450g (1 lb) puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
The Filling:
- 700g (1½ lb) salmon fillet, skinned
- 50g (2 oz) basmati and wild rice mix
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 50g (2 oz) butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
How To Make Delia Smith Salmon Coulibiac
- Pre-cook the salmon: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Season the salmon, wrap it loosely in foil, and bake for about 10 minutes until just cooked. Let it cool completely, then flake into large chunks.
- Cook the rice and eggs: Boil the rice in salted water until tender, then drain and cool. Hard-boil the eggs for 7 minutes, cool under cold water, and chop roughly.
- Soften the onion: Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned.
- Combine the filling: Mix the flaked salmon, rice, chopped eggs, softened onion, dill, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season well and let the filling go completely cold before assembling.
- Assemble the parcel: Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Spoon the cold filling down the centre in a neat mound, leaving a wide border on all sides.
- Seal and turn: Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, fold the long sides up over the filling, and press firmly to seal. Pinch the ends closed. Turn the whole parcel over onto a dampened baking sheet so the seam sits underneath.
- Decorate and glaze: Use pastry trimmings to cut leaf shapes and press onto the top. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg.
- Bake: Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed, crisp, and deep golden. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
What Kind of Salmon Works Best
Delia uses a single large fillet, and I would do the same. A whole side gives you big flakes that hold their shape inside the pastry, while smaller fillets tend to break down into mush during assembly.
Fresh is better than frozen here because frozen salmon releases more water as it bakes, which can make the base soggy. If the salmon en croute is the quick weeknight version of salmon in pastry, this coulibiac is the one you make when you have time to do it properly.
Plates That Go Alongside
Keep it simple because the coulibiac is already a complete meal inside a pastry case. A green salad dressed with lemon, steamed green beans, or buttered new potatoes are all you need.
Delia does not suggest a sauce, and I agree because the filling is already moist from the butter and lemon. A wedge of lemon on the side is all you need.
Salmon Coulibiac Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 680 kcal
- Protein: 35g
- Fat: 40g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Sugar: 2g
Estimated per slice, based on 6 servings.
How long do you cook salmon coulibiac?
The salmon is pre-cooked for about 10 minutes before assembling, and the wrapped parcel bakes for 25 to 30 minutes at 200°C (400°F). The total hands-on time including rice, eggs, and assembly is about 45 minutes, plus cooling time for the filling.
Can I make salmon coulibiac the day before?
You can assemble the parcel without the egg glaze and refrigerate it overnight. Glaze and bake the next day, adding 5 minutes to the baking time since it will be cold from the fridge. Do not freeze it assembled because the pastry goes soggy when it thaws.
Do I need the hard-boiled eggs inside?
The eggs are traditional in a Russian coulibiac and add a different texture between the soft fish and the rice. You can leave them out and the recipe still works, but the slices will look less interesting when you cut through them.
Why did my pastry go soggy on the bottom?
Almost always because the filling was still warm when you wrapped it. The steam from warm filling softens the pastry before it even reaches the oven. Let everything cool completely, and place the parcel seam-side down on a baking sheet you have preheated in the oven.
More From the Site:
Delia Smith Salmon Coulibiac Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium6
servings45
minutes30
minutes680
kcalDelia Smith’s salmon coulibiac sounds like something a professional kitchen would make, but the whole thing is just salmon, rice, eggs, and dill inside puff pastry. I put off making it for years because the name intimidated me, and that was a waste of time.
This salmon coulibiac recipe comes from Delia’s Winter Collection and serves 6 as a main course. You pre-cook everything, let it cool, wrap it in pastry, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until the outside is deep golden and the filling is hot through.
Ingredients
450g (1 lb) puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, for glazing
700g (1½ lb) salmon fillet, skinned
50g (2 oz) basmati and wild rice mix
2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
50g (2 oz) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Directions
- Pre-cook the salmon: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Season the salmon, wrap it loosely in foil, and bake for about 10 minutes until just cooked. Let it cool completely, then flake into large chunks.
- Cook the rice and eggs: Boil the rice in salted water until tender, then drain and cool. Hard-boil the eggs for 7 minutes, cool under cold water, and chop roughly.
- Soften the onion: Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned.
- Combine the filling: Mix the flaked salmon, rice, chopped eggs, softened onion, dill, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season well and let the filling go completely cold before assembling.
- Assemble the parcel: Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Spoon the cold filling down the centre in a neat mound, leaving a wide border on all sides.
- Seal and turn: Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, fold the long sides up over the filling, and press firmly to seal. Pinch the ends closed. Turn the whole parcel over onto a dampened baking sheet so the seam sits underneath.
- Decorate and glaze: Use pastry trimmings to cut leaf shapes and press onto the top. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg.
- Bake: Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed, crisp, and deep golden. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- The filling must be completely cold before wrapping or the pastry goes soggy.
- The rice absorbs juices from the salmon during baking, keeping the pastry crisp.
- Rest the baked coulibiac for 5 to 10 minutes for cleaner slices.
