Individual Salmon En Croute with Filo Pastry (One Pot One Portion)
Cooking for one? That doesn’t mean you have to settle for anything less than spectacular. Today, we’re making a perfectly crisp, golden salmon en croûte, wrapped in delicate filo pastry for that irresistible crunch, but without the fuss of puff pastry. Now you might have heard of compound butter but have you hear of compound cream cheese? Well that’s what we’re using here to fill this with flavour! And there you have it, your own perfectly portioned salmon en croûte, flaky on the outside, tender on the inside. The perfect dinner for one.
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Individual salmon en croute with filo pastry is a single-serve, oven-baked dish that wraps a salmon fillet in crisp, buttery filo with a herby cream cheese filling. It’s cooked in one small baking dish, making it ideal for cooking for one without excess washing up. The flavour is rich yet fresh, with lemon zest, garlic, and soft herbs cutting through the richness of the salmon and pastry. Light, flaky filo keeps the dish elegant rather than heavy. It’s a practical yet impressive one-portion meal that feels special without being complicated.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve, Perfectly Portioned
This recipe is designed specifically for one person, using a single salmon fillet and just enough filo and filling to feel generous without leftovers.
Quick but Impressive
With minimal prep and a short oven time, this dish comes together in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for weeknights that still call for something a little special.
One Pot, One Portion Cooking
Everything bakes together in one dish, salmon, pastry, and vegetables, keeping washing up to a minimum while maximising flavour.
Elegant Comfort
Crisp filo, creamy herb cheese, and tender salmon strike the perfect balance between comforting and refined, ideal for treating yourself to a beautiful solo dinner.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Salmon En Croute
- Remove the salmon skin before assembling to keep the layers neat and easy to eat
- Spread the cream cheese to match the size of the salmon fillet for even filling
- Brush filo generously with butter to ensure a crisp, golden finish
- Layer filo sheets at an angle to create better coverage and texture
- Scrunch the top layer loosely for a ruffled, bakery-style finish
- Choose quick-cooking vegetables so everything is ready at the same time
- Bake until deeply golden- pale filo won’t be fully crisp
- Finish with lemon juice just before serving to lift the richness
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
For the Compound Cream Cheese
- Cream Cheese (2 tbsp): Creates a rich, savoury base
- Fresh Chives: Mild onion flavour and freshness
- Fresh Parsley: Soft herbal note
- Garlic (1 clove): Adds savoury depth
- Lemon Zest (½ lemon): Brightens the filling
- Salt & Black Pepper: For seasoning
For the Salmon En Croute
- Wild Salmon Fillet (1): The star of the dish
- Filo Pastry (1–2 sheets): Light, crisp pastry casing
- Butter (10g): Helps the filo brown and crisp
To Serve (Optional)
- Any vegetables of your choice, chopped
- Extra lemon juice
Essential Tools
- Small baking dish (6–8 inches)
- Pastry brush
- Knife and chopping board
- Small mixing bowl
Dietary Variations
Gluten-Free
This dish isn’t suitable for gluten-free diets due to the filo pastry.
Dairy-Free
Use a dairy-free cream cheese and plant-based butter alternative.
Different Fillings
Soft goat’s cheese works beautifully in place of cream cheese, or add a little Dijon mustard for extra depth.
Different Fish
Trout or cod can be used instead of salmon, though cooking times may vary slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I make salmon en croute ahead of time?
A: It’s best baked fresh, but you can assemble it a few hours ahead and keep it chilled until ready to cook.
Q: What size baking dish is best for one portion?
A: A 6–8 inch ovenproof dish comfortably fits one fillet with vegetables.
Q: How do I stop filo pastry from drying out?
A: Keep unused sheets covered with a clean, slightly damp cloth while assembling.
Q: Can I use frozen salmon?
A: Yes, but defrost it fully and pat it dry before assembling to avoid excess moisture.
Q: What vegetables work best with this dish?
A: Tenderstem broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or sliced courgette all cook well alongside the salmon.
This individual salmon en croute is proof that cooking for one can be both effortless and elegant- crisp pastry, creamy filling, and perfectly cooked fish, all made just for you.
Ingredients
For the compound cream cheese you need:
- 2 tbsp Cream Cheese
- 1 Handful of Fresh Chives, finely chopped
- 1 Handful of Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Clove of Garlic, finely chopped/grated
- Zest of 1/2 Lemon
- Salt
- Black Pepper
For Salmon En Croute:
- 1 Fillet of Wild Salmon
- 1-2 Sheets of Filo Pastry
- 10g Butter
To Serve:
- Any Vegetables of your choice, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180° C fan.
- Start by making your compound cream cheese. Add all the ingredients for the cream cheese to a bowl and mix well together until combined.
- Lay out your filo and brush with the melted butter. Cut the sheet of filo in half if using one large larger sheet, or keep whole if using two smaller sheets. Place one sheet on top of the other at a slight angle.
- Spoon the cream cheese on top of the filo and spread out so it’s the same size as your salmon fillet.
- Remove the skin from the salmon fillet with a knife then place the salmon fillet on top of the cream cheese, then fold the first sheet of filo over the salmon so that it’s wrapped fairly tightly.
- With the second sheet of filo gather the corners together then scrunch down to create a ruffled top.
- Place in a baking dish with the vegetables of your choice and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve and enjoy with an extra squeeze of lemon.
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"One Pot One Portion is, to borrow from The Parent Trap “a brilliant beyond brilliant idea”…I know many feel that it’s too much bother to cook ‘just’ for themselves — a sad admission, I feel — and to those people, and many others besides, I say: get this book and prove yourself liberatingly wrong!…Thank goodness for books! And thank goodness for Eleanor Wilkinson, a young talent to lift the spirits…There are so many people who could benefit from this book…this book is a boon and a blessing"
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I buy a lot of cook books and this is genuinely one of the best l've ever bought. I've tried 6 or 7 recipes so far and they're all winners. I'm well used to scaling recipes down to one portion, but not having to calculate measurements as l go along feels like a little luxury. One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up! Highly recommended.
I have been following Eleanor on IG for a while and have made several of her dishes before the cookbook came out. I was thrilled to see so many new things to try and have already made about 6 of them. Her recipes are approachable, the dishes are delicious, and they make me feel like I can cook! Highly recommend.
If you love eating good home cooked food but can't be bothered to cook just for yourself, then this is the book for you. Using ingredients that are easy to find, then mixing, cooking and eating from the same pan or dish means a minimum of washing up. Every recipe I have tried so far has been delicious and have all turned out well which isn't always the case with many cookery books. Definitely recommend!
Following Eleanor on Instagram and seeing her recipes come to life is one thing but then having them in my own kitchen is quite another. Not only are the recipes easy to follow and delicious she also help you not to waste food. This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?
Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
It's so nice to finally have a recipe book that I can go to if I want a quick easy meal with minimal cleaning up required! Everything l've tried so far is delicious. And I salivate at the thought of everything in there!
Totally reignited my cooking mojo which had been MIA for a while. I'm going to buy my daughter a copy to take back to Uni too as everything is simple and delicious - perfect for a student!
Best cookbook for somebody single!
The fact I know I won't have loads to wash up really feels motivating and l've earmarked so many of the recipes already.
This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?