Mary Berry Salmon and prawn filo purses Recipe

This Mary Berry Salmon and Prawn Filo Purses recipe is a crisp and elegant dish, which is made with salmon and prawns. It’s the perfect party appetizer, ready in about 35 minutes.

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Mary Berry Salmon and Prawn Filo Purses Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb) tail end of salmon, boned, skinned, and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 250 g (8 oz) cooked peeled prawns
• lemon juice, for sprinkling
• salt and black pepper
• 1 x 250 g packet filo pastry
• 60 g (2 oz) butter, melted
• butter, for greasing
• lemon slices and dill sprigs, to garnish

White Wine Sauce:

• 100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) dry white wine
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) double cream
• 1 tsp chopped fresh dill

How To Make Mary Berry Salmon and Prawn Filo Purses

1. Season the seafood: In a bowl, combine the salmon pieces and prawns. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Assemble the filo purses: Cut the filo pastry into sixteen 18 cm (7 in) squares. Keep the squares you are not working with covered with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. Brush two squares with a little of the melted butter and place one on top of the other at an angle to create a star shape. Spoon one-eighth of the salmon mixture into the centre. Gather up the sides to create a “purse” shape and pinch the top together to seal. Repeat to make eight purses.
3. Bake the purses: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan, Gas 5). Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper and brush it with butter. Place the filo purses on the sheet, lightly brush them with the remaining melted butter, and bake for 15–20 minutes, until crisp and golden.
4. Make the white wine sauce: While the purses bake, pour the white wine into a small saucepan and boil rapidly until it has reduced to about 3 tbsp. Add the double cream and simmer until it thickens to a light coating consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve: Pour the warm sauce into a dipping bowl. Garnish the cooked purses with fresh lemon slices and dill sprigs and serve immediately with the sauce.

Recipe Tips

• How to prevent filo pastry from drying out? Filo pastry dries out very quickly once exposed to air. Always keep the sheets you are not immediately working with covered with a clean, damp tea towel.
• Can I use scallops instead of prawns? Yes, the recipe notes that for a really special occasion, you can substitute the prawns with scallops for a more luxurious filling.
• Can I make these ahead of time? Absolutely. The recipe suggests you can prepare the purses up to 24 hours ahead. Assemble them on the baking sheet, cover them with a damp tea towel, and keep them in the refrigerator. Bake from chilled at the last minute.
• What if I don’t want to use wine in the sauce? You can substitute the white wine with an equal amount of fish or vegetable stock. You may want to add an extra squeeze of lemon juice at the end to provide some acidity.

What To Serve With Salmon and Prawn Filo Purses

These elegant purses are a wonderful starter or light main course, served with:

• Steamed asparagus spears
• A simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette
• Buttered new potatoes

How To Store

• Best served fresh: These are best eaten fresh from the oven while the pastry is crisp.
• Storing leftovers: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Reheat in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes to help re-crisp the pastry. The sauce can be stored separately and reheated gently.

FAQs

• Can I use frozen salmon? Yes, you can use frozen salmon. Ensure it is thoroughly thawed and patted dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before cutting it into pieces.
• What is filo pastry? Filo (or phyllo) is a paper-thin unleavened dough used for making pastries in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. It becomes very crisp and flaky when baked.
• My filo purses are soggy at the bottom, why? This can happen if the filling is too wet. Make sure your prawns are well-drained and you don’t use too much lemon juice. Placing them on a pre-buttered baking sheet also helps to crisp up the base.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry’s Smoked chicken tart Recipe
• Mary Berry Cheese and Olive Bites Recipe
• Mary Berry’s Brioches with Wild Mushrooms and Watercress Recipe