Salmon spinach-pesto terrine

This recipe is for a terrine in a puff-pastry crust. the terrine has layers of spinach pesto, goat cheese (OK if you have lactose intolerance!), and salmon.

Do not substitute the home-made pesto described below with store-bought pesto! This recipe will not work with creamy pesto (besides, store-bought is mostly junk and making it yourself is easy)! If you are looking for regular creamy pesto recipe: a quick-and-easy regular pesto one is provided in Dino's antipasti platter recipe.

Preparation time - pesto: 10 minutes (excluding thawing out the frozen spinach!)

Preparation time - pesto: 30 minutes (excluding thawing out the frozen spinach)
Preparation time - terrine: 30 minutes
Bake time: 50-60 minutes
Makes 15 servings.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the spinach pesto:
750 grams (1.5 lbs) frozen whole-leaf spinach (do not use finely chopped or creamed frozen spinach)
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (never use the bone-dry pre-ground stuff!)
5 heaping tablespoons pine nuts (best if lightly toasted just before making the pesto)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Other ingredients for the terrine:
150 gram (1/3 pound) skinless salmon filet (fresh or fresh frozen)
1 sheet puff pastry sheet
one standard large round sheet (230 gram ; 1/2 lb) is enough for two terrines.
1 roll of goat cheese.
do not use very soft, fresh, un-aged goat cheese - it is too mild in taste and too easy to spread.
no need to get expensive goat cheese, as it will not be eaten "straight".
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

For the pesto:
cheese cloth, or lots of paper kitchen towels
fine-mesh sieve
food processor
medium size bowl

For the terrine:
rolling pin
some flour
some vegetable oil
loaf pan, standard medium size (about 24x10 cm ; 9.5x4 inch)

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

For the pesto:
Thaw out the frozen spinach and drain very well. This takes lots of squeezing in cheese cloth or paper kitchen towels!
After draining the water, the weight of the spinach should be reduced by at least 50%!
First, I let the spinach drain by itself in a fine-mesh sieve, then I press the spinach mass with my fist, then I transfer the spinach mass onto paper towels and put this into the sieve and press - repeat until almost no more water comes out.
Important: in the end, the spinach much be a big pasty lump - no liquid should drain out if you let it sit on a plate for a while. We are not making a pesto with the creamy consistency of store-bought pesto!
Put the spinach, garlic, basil, and the salt in a food processor
Pulse several times to begin chopping & blending the ingredients, then turn to high speed and slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture is just beginning to get smooth.
Add the pine nuts and blend some more.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.
This makes enough pesto for two terrines, or for one terrine and have left-over for a pasta meal.

For the terrine:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (375 °F)
Keep the puff pastry dough in the fridge until you are going to work it; the other ingredients should be at room temperature.
Prepare the salmon filet:
If using frozen filet, put in ziplock bag, suck out the air, and put in warm water for 10-15 minutes (you can even wrap it thoroughly in kitchen film, if you don't have a lockable bag)
Towel-dry the salmon filets and remove any brownish parts from the spine area.
Cut the salmon across, into 3 or 4 pieces. When put side-by-side or head-to-tail, they must be almost as long as the loaf pan.
On a lightly flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough until it is about 20% bigger
Lightly grease the loaf pan with some vegetable oil, even if it is a non-stick pan (I sometimes a quick spray of "PAM")
Completely line the pan with the dough:
Cut off excess dough that hangs over the edge of the pan
Cut out excess dough in the corners (but don't remove so much dough that the pan becomes visible)
Fully cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/2 - 1 cm (1/4 - 1/2") layer of pesto
Cut the roll of goat cheese lengthwise into 2-3 strips, and put them lengthwise on top of the pesto
Lightly pack pesto around the cheese
Lightly pack pesto on top of the cheese, until 2-3 cm (≈1") from the top of the pan
Align the salmon pieces lengthwise on top of the pesto
Fold the dough that sticks out above the pesto, towards the salmon.
Sprinkle the lemon juice over the salmon pieces.
Bake for 50-60 minutes - the dough should be dark golden.

Ready to put put into the oven

SERVING & GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

I serve this as an appetizer or first course.
Can be served right out of the oven, sliced into thick medallions, preferably on plates that have been heated in the oven.
Also quite tasty cold, e.g., at a summer pick-nick.
Can be re-heated.

NOTES

Left over pesto can be used used with a pasta meal.
Pesto can be made well ahead and kept in the fridge; if so, make sure that it is back up at room temperature when you are going to use it in the above recipe.