Salmon en Croute with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Total time: 35 minutes
    Cooking a whole salmon in puff pastry is a classic party dish.  This is a scaled down version for individual servings.  For a dinner party they can be assembled ahead and baked at the last minute.  The salmon stays moist and perfectly flaky.  I've given the dimensions used in the photos.  If your salmon is a different shape, you need enough pastry to cover it. Trim any excess. 

 Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of salmon, skinned - about 3" wide by 4" long by 1" thick (5cm X 10cm x 2.5 cm) 7oz (200gr) each
• 1 large or 2 small sheets of puff pastry   If they are not big enough you can roll them out a bit (using a rolling pin). 
• 2 tsp dried or fresh dill weed
• 4 tsp whole grain mustard
• Tarragon Cream Sauce: 
• 1/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken stock less 2 tbs
• 1/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) white wine
• 1 shallot
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon   substitute 1 tbs fresh
• 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in
• 2 tbs stock
• 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or sour cream

 Instructions:

• Lightly roll puff pastry dough if needed.  It needs to be just large enough to cover the salmon with an overlap of 1/2 - 1 inch (1.25 - 2.5cm).  
• Lightly cover an area roughly the size of the salmon with dill. 
• Skin salmon if needed, and cut/trim. 
• Place salmon on top of dill. 
• Spread 2 tsp mustard on the salmon. 
• Depending on the shape of your fish you can bring opposite corners together (if it's square-ish) or fold over (if it's long-ish). 
• Press the meeting edges of the puff pastry together to seal.  It's okay if there are gaps in the 'package' as long as the pastry is sealed together enough to hold it's shape as it bakes. 
• Repeat with the other piece of salmon.
• Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 - 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. 
• Remove and serve with Tarragon Cream Sauce on the side.
• Tarragon Cream Sauce:
• Finely chop shallots. 
• In small saucepan over medium heat sauté shallots in butter until tender. 
• Add tarragon, wine and stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes. 
• Mix cornstarch in 2 tbs stock and stir into simmering stock.  Cook until thickened - should be quite thick. 
• Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. 
• Cover and keep warm until serving.