This recipe makes 2 of Delia Smith’s Thai salmon filo parcels, one for each person. You fill them with lime, ginger and coriander, and wrap each fillet in two sheets of buttered filo. The whole supper takes about 40 minutes, because the parcels bake crisp in 20 to 25.
These parcels go back to 1993, when her Summer Collection came out. Filo is the right pastry here, she says, because the parcel seals in the salmon juices.
Anyone looking for Delia’s salmon parcels, or her salmon in filo pastry, wants this recipe. Her other salmon parcels use flaky pastry, and some people call them salmon Wellington.
The parcels come to the table with sprigs of coriander and quarters of lime. You squeeze the lime over the hot pastry, so the first taste is sharp and fragrant.
Delia Smith’s Thai Salmon Parcels in Filo Pastry
Two salmon fillets, each wrapped in buttered filo pastry with a lime, ginger and herb mix, baked until the pastry is crisp.
2
servings15
minutes25
minutes480
kcalIngredients
- For the parcels:
2 salmon fillets from the thicker part of the fish, 110-150g (4-5oz) each
4 sheets filo pastry, each about 30 x 18cm (12 x 7 inches)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1 small spring onion, finely sliced
25g (1oz) butter
salt and freshly milled black pepper
- To garnish:
sprigs of coriander
1 lime, cut into quarters
Directions
- Oven: Heat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas mark 5.
- Mix: In a small bowl, mix the ginger, lime zest, garlic, chopped coriander and spring onion. Then stir in the lime juice.
- Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Filo: Lay 1 sheet of filo on a flat surface and brush it all over with melted butter. Put a second sheet on top and brush that one lightly.
- Salmon: Put one salmon fillet near one end of the filo and season it. Spoon half the lime and herb mix on top.
- Wrap: Fold the short end of the pastry over the salmon, then fold the long sides in. Fold the salmon over twice more.
- Trim: Cut off any spare pastry, so there are no thick wedges of it at the ends.
- Repeat: Wrap the second fillet in the same way, with the other 2 sheets of filo.
- Bake: Brush the parcels all over with melted butter and put them on a baking sheet. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is brown and crisp.
- Serve: Serve the parcels with the coriander sprigs and the lime quarters to squeeze over.
Notes
- On her website the baking sheet is lightly greased first, which stops the parcels sticking.
- My own tip is to keep the waiting sheets of filo under a clean tea towel, because they dry out fast.
FAQs
Can I make Thai salmon filo parcels ahead?
Yes, the night before. Her website says the recipe works well made ahead, chilled and then baked. Keep the parcels well covered in the fridge.
From chilled, they may need a couple of minutes longer in the oven. Leave the last brush of butter until just before you bake them, as the recipe does.
How do I make them for 4 people?
Double everything, my own sum. That means 4 fillets, 8 sheets of filo, 2 limes for the mix and 50g of butter.
The oven heat and the time stay the same, because each parcel still holds one fillet. Use a large baking sheet, so the parcels do not touch.
For 6 people, her salmon coulibiac recipe is one large pie, so nobody has to wrap parcels.
Why does Delia trim the pastry?
Because thick ends of pastry spoil a parcel. She says it matters not to finish with big wedges of pastry at each end.
The butter goes on thinly for the same reason. The first sheet is brushed all over, but the second gets only a light coat.
Which piece of salmon is best for the parcels?
A fillet from the thicker part of the fish, at 110 to 150g. That is how her Summer Collection puts it, while her later Fish book calls them middle-cut fillets.
A thick, even piece cooks through in the same time as the pastry, my own view. A thin tail piece would dry out first.
Is filo pastry lighter than puff pastry?
Yes, according to Delia. She writes that filo is welcome news for waist-watchers and for anyone who cares about healthy eating.
She also warns against using it for everything, though. So she keeps filo for dishes like this one, where a sealed parcel really helps.
