Recipes

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Lasagne

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on April 29 2021 at 14:30

I'm normally a bit daunted by chefs' books but Chefs at Home, a collection of recipes from some of Britain's best loved chefs which has been put together in aid of Hospitality Action, a charity that supports the restaurant industry, is full of the kind of food they actually make for their families.

This one is from Tom Kitchin who writes: "This comforting pasta bake is easy to prepare and always popular. The recipe is based on a Scandinavian dish that my wife Michaela has been making for years. It’s absolutely delicious and has the added advantage that it can be prepared in advance, ready to bake and serve when required."

Serves 4

100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

100g plain flour

950ml whole milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ leek, cut into thin strips

400g baby spinach

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8–10 lasagne sheets

500g smoked salmon, cut into 2cm squares

250g cheddar, grated

50g parmesan, grated

4 dill sprigs, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

green salad, to serve

Melt 75g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook out for 1–2 minutes, then slowly add the milk, stirring as you go. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring continuously without letting the sauce boil too hard, until thickened. Once thickened, add the mustard and nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4 and grease a lasagne dish with butter.

Melt the remaining 25g of butter in a saucepan, add the leek and cook for 2–3 minutes to soften a little. Season with salt and pepper, then add the spinach leaves (a handful at a time is easier) and the garlic and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Drain off the excess liquid.

Spread some of the sauce over the bottom of the dish and place a layer of lasagne sheets on top. Top with some of the leek and spinach mixture, then some smoked salmon. Sprinkle over some cheddar and parmesan. Repeat the process, finishing the top layer with sauce, a few pieces of salmon, and grated cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and the lasagne is tender. (To check if the lasagne is cooked, insert a fork – if there’s no resistance, it’s ready.)

Sprinkle the dill over the top and serve with a fresh green salad.

What to drink: I'd go for a rich full-bodied white like an old vine chenin blanc, a godello or a grillo with this

Extract taken from Chefs at Home: Delicious Family Recipes from the UK’s Leading Locked Down Chefs (£26, Jon Croft Editions)

Photography ©Kris Kirkham

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