With pumpkin spicing up our lives, here’s one way to add a flavour of the season to a dish you may not have considered: a seafood entrée.    

This autumnal recipe comes from chef Jerome Soubeyrand at Vancouver’s Coast Restaurant.

Salmon Wellington with spiced pumpkin purée

Salmon Wellington
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushroom
5 oz fresh spinach
1 teaspoon salt, for spinach
1 teaspoon pepper, for spinach

2 sheet puff pastry, softened to room temperature
1 salmon fillet, skinned and deboned
1 teaspoon salt, for salmon
1 teaspoon pepper, for salmon
1 egg, beaten for the puff pastry

Method
Preheat oven to 380 F (about 190 C).

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter.
Add the garlic and onions, cooking until translucent.
Add the mushroom until soft and cooked.

Add the spinach, salt, and pepper, cooking until spinach is wilted.
Now cool it down on a tray or a container in the fridge.

On a chopping board, put the defrosted sheet of puff pastry.
Place the spinach and mushroom mix all over the pastry, avoiding the edges, leave half an inch with nothing

Place the salmon in the middle, on the top of mushroom mix after seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.

Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg then place the second puff pastry on to and press the sides with your fingers to close your Wellington.
Then brush the top and sides of the pastry.
Use a knife to score the pastry, not pressing too much with your knife, making sure you do not cut the pastry but just mark it.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown then slice and serve.

Spice pumpkin purée

Ingredients
1 cup diced pumpkin
4 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cloves
¼ cup butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Method
In a pot, put the water, pumpkin and spices.
Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Check the pumpkin—it should be cooked and soft.

Place the pumpkin in a food processor and blitz until puréed.
Add the butter slowly to emulsify.
Add some of the poaching liquid if needed to obtain the right texture.

Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.