Fish Pie - Salmon Rice and Egg Puff Pastry Roulade - Kulebyaka

Mar 16, 2011
Frances Spiegel

Salmon, Rice and Egg Puff Pastry Roulade - Frances Spiegel 2011

In this traditional Russian festive dish fresh salmon, hard-boiled eggs and dill-flavoured rice are encased in crispy puff pastry.

The seas to the north and south of Russia, the large lakes, and the rivers that flow through the region, offer an wide variety of both salt and fresh-water fish which Russians use in imaginative and tasty ways. Fresh-water varieties are widely available, including salmon, eel, perch and tench.

This traditional Russian dish, known as Kulebyaka, combines moist salmon with eggs and rice encased in crispy puff pastry. Kulebyaka is usually made as one long roll, but it could just as easily be made into individual fish pies.

Ingredients for Kulebyaka – Salmon, Rice and Egg Puff Pastry Roulade

Serves 4

50 g (2 oz butter)
1 small onion, finely chopped
175 g (6 oz) long grain rice, cooked
15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh dill, finely chopped
15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice (bottled will do just as well)
450 g (1 lb) puff pastry - defrosted if frozen
450 g (1 lb) salmon fillets - remove the skin and cut into pieces
3 medium eggs - hard-boiled and finely chopped
1 egg - beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Watercress and two pickled cucumbers, to garnish
Flour for rolling surface

How to Make Salmon, Rice and Egg Puff Pastry Roulade

The oven should be pre-heated to 400ºF/200ºC/Gas Mark 6. Lightly oil a baking tray.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the finely chopped onion. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, until the onion is just tender, and slightly golden.
Stir in the cooked rice, adding chopped dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the puff pastry, to make a 30 cm (12 in) square.
Spread the rice mix over the pastry, but leave a border all round of about 1 cm (½ inch).
Arrange the salmon pieces on top of the rice, scatter the chopped egg over the salmon, and sprinkle with fish seasoning.
Brush pastry edges with beaten egg.
Fold the pastry twice to form a rectangle. Press the edges together to seal in the contents.
Carefully lift the pastry roll onto the oiled baking tray and glaze with beaten egg.
Pierce the pastry case in several places to allow steam to escape.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 40 minutes. After 30 minutes cover the roll with foil.
Leave on baking tray to cool. Garnish with chopped or sliced pickled cucumber and watercress. Slice and Serve.

How you serve this dish is up to you, either as a light lunch accompanied by a mixed salad, or as a main meal. It goes particularly well with boiled new potatoes and mixed vegetables. If carefully wrapped in foil the Salmon, Rice, and Egg Puff Pastry Roulade travels well and makes good picnic food.