Ingredients
- 3 (500g) medium Skinless salmon fillets
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 50g plain flour
- 50g butter
- 2 cups full-cream milk
- 8 sheets filo pastry
- 50g butter, melted
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Grease a 28cm round pie dish.
- Place the salmon fillets on a baking tray and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on the tray.
- Brush one sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and place it, buttered side up, into the pie dish, pressing it into the base and sides. Repeat with three more sheets, ensuring the base and sides are completely covered. Trim the overhanging pastry. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until the pastry is golden. While the pastry is cooking, prepare the mornay.
- Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until hot, but do not allow it to boil.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning.
- While stirring continuously, pour one-quarter of the hot milk into the flour mixture. Stir until smooth and free of lumps. Add another quarter of the milk and continue stirring. Repeat until all the milk has been incorporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place the cream cheese, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
- Add the Mornay sauce to the cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Lastly, add the cooked salmon and gently mix to break it into chunks. Do not overmix if you would like larger pieces of salmon throughout the pie.
- Pour the salmon mixture into the prepared pie dish. Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling.
- Brush the remaining four sheets of filo pastry with melted butter, slightly scrunch them, arrange them over the top, to cover the filling completely. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
