¼ head medium green cabbage or 2 cups (200 grams), cored and shredded
½ pound mushrooms (122 grams), cleaned and torn
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) caraway seeds
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound (227 grams) Alaskan salmon, skinned and boned
Puff Pastry (recipe follows)
1 cup (150 grams) cooked short-grain brown rice
1 medium hard-cooked egg (102 grams), chopped
½ cup (50 grams) shredded Manchego cheese
½ cup (50 grams) fine bread crumbs
¼ cup (60 grams) heavy whipping cream
1 medium egg (47 grams), beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter
(4-inch) ring molds with 2-inch sides.
In a large sauté pan, melt butter over low heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 7 minutes. Add cabbage, mushrooms, thyme, and caraway. Increase heat to medium; add more butter, if necessary. (Sometimes I sprinkle in a bit of water or chicken stock to create a steam and help soften the cabbage.) Cook until cabbage and mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Poach, bake, grill, or pan-sear the salmon. Each of these techniques offers a little variation in flavor and texture. If you prepare the salmon any way other than poaching, I usually like to rub it with a good-quality olive oil and season with salt and pepper. This prevents the fish from sticking to the pan surface and protects the flesh from drying out before cooking. The salmon can be a little undercooked because it will cook additionally in the pie. Let salmon cool, and flake it into medium chunks.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet of Puff Pastry. Cover remaining sheet with a cloth or plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Using a 5-inch round cutter, cut dough into 8 rounds, and place in prepared molds. Place a layer of rice onto pastry. Add chopped egg. Layer with salmon, cheese, bread crumbs, and cabbage mixture. (You can mix them all together if you want, but the layers look nice when you bite into the pie. The sequence of these events doesn’t matter as much as your own personal taste. Some people feel very strongly about where the hard-cooked eggs are placed!) Season with salt and pepper. Pour some cream over pies.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining sheet of Puff Pastry. Using a 5-inch round cutter, cut dough into 8 rounds. Brush rims of filled pies with a little water, and place rounds on top of each pie. Crimp edges together to seal. (Some people do this with a fork or between two fingers to make a decorative edge. Use any leftover dough to cut out shapes, if desired.) Cut vents in top of dough to release steam. Brush dough with beaten egg.
Bake on top rack of oven until pastry is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/russian-salmon-hand-pies/