Hot & Cold Smoked Irish Organic Salmon Gratin

We owe this delicious recipe to Bord Bía. We adjusted it a bit to accommodate two kinds of smoked salmon, the cold and the hot smoked. Each of them will add great interest to the dish featuring their own characteristic flavours and textures.

Serves

6 People

Times

45 mins

Ingredients

200g cold smoked Irish organic salmon, cut into 2-3cm pieces

400g hot smoked Irish organic salmon, cut into 2-3cm pieces

450ml fish stock or water

1 bay leaf

100ml white wine

150ml full-fat milk

50ml cream

50g butter, plus extra for greasing

1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthways and sliced

1 small onion, peeled and diced

50g plain flour

1 tblsp. Dijon mustard

Handful fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

80g cheese, grated

50g breadcrumbs, Panko if available

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the stock or water in a large saucepan, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Add the wine to the saucepan, bring back to the boil and allow to reduce for 5 minutes. Then add the milk and cream, reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large saucepan, add the leek and onion and cook for about 10 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the flour, stir well and then add the milk and stock mixture, a ladleful at a time. Keep stirring until all the liquid is incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
Bring the sauce to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir through the mustard. Remove the bay leaf.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7, 220°C (425°F).
Grease a large baking dish measuring approximately 30x20cm. Add the salmon pieces to the leek sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
Mix the cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the mixture in the baking dish. Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until golden-brown and bubbling.