Perch Fish in Flaky Dough

I saw this recipe recently in Jacques Pepin's TV show. Originally, the recipe requres salmon, but since I am not a huge fan of salmon, I made it with perch fish filet. Here is how I made it.

There are two options for the dough - to make it from scratch at home or to buy 1 package of frozen flaky dough. I personally prefer to prepare it from scratch.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add in chopped butter cubes and cut in with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the ice water slowly until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Peel and devein the shrimp and cut into 1/2 inch dice. Chop the shallots and mushrooms. You can use wild or cultivated mushrooms. I used porcino and I must confess, the flavor was quite strong, so my advice is to use lighter mushrooms like crimini. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just enough for the shrimp to change color. Season with salt and black pepper.

To assemble the dish, season the filet lightly with salt. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it in two equally large balls. Roll out the dough into an ellipse, large enough to cover the filet. Place it on a baking sheet in a large baking pan. Place one of the perch fish filets on top. Spread the mushroom-shrimp stuffing evenly on top and cover with the second filet. Roll out the second dough ball and cover the fish. Press it all around the edges, in the shape of the fish underneath. Make sure the two layers of dough adhere well together, then put in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up the dough. This will make trimming and decorating the fish easier.

Take it out and trim off the excess dough about 1/2 inch from the fish contour. Shape fins and tail. Place a round piece of dough for the eye and a long strip for the gill. Decorate more as you like. Brush the fish with egg yolk and bake in preheated at 190 ℃ (370 ℉) oven for 40-45 minutes.