This week's recipe is one of Emily English’s recipes, the crispy potato salmon and leek bake, slightly adapted. I make it regularly in the winter months - it's easy, comforting, and healthy too. The kids love it as much as we do.
Crispy Salmon and Leek Bake
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
500g baby potatoes
20g butter
1 leek, sliced
2 spring onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of spinach (or frozen)
40g cheddar cheese
350ml milk
1tbsp plain flour
1 chicken stock pot or cube
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Handful of parsley
Olive oil
Squeeze of lemon
Salt and black pepper
Method
Boil the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Cut 500g skin-on baby potatoes in half or quarters. Boil in salted water until a knife goes through easily.
Soften leek and garlic: While the potatoes cook, sweat 1 leek, sliced and 2 garlic cloves, minced in a pan with the butter and a pinch of salt and pepper until soft.
Build the sauce: Sprinkle into the softened leeks 1 tbsp plain flour, mix, then slowly whisk in 350ml milk until combined. Bring to a simmer to thicken.
Finish the filling: Add 1 chicken stock cube and 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, simmer for a few minutes, then stir in 1 handful of spinach until wilted. Turn off the heat and stir through a squeeze of lemon.
Add the salmon: Fold 2 skinless salmon fillets, diced into the sauce, then tip into a suitable baking dish (or bake in the same pan if oven safe).
Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and tip into a bowl. Add 30g of the 40g cheddar, grated (I usually just go by eye, never too much cheese), 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 spring onions, chopped and a handful of fresh parsley chopped, plus salt and pepper. Roughly mash with a fork, leaving nice chunky pieces.
Assemble and bake: Top the salmon mix with the mash. Scatter over the remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown.
Notes. freezes well unbaked. Defrost fully in the fridge before baking.
