Creamy Potato Gratin With Smoked And Fresh Salmon Food

CREAMY POTATO GRATIN WITH SMOKED AND FRESH SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of boiling water with the saffron and set aside for 20 minutes (longer is fine).
• Cook the potatoes: In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper. Spread out on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets (baking trays) and roast for 20 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
• Cook the greens: In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the anchovy and garlic and fry just until the garlic is starting to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add half the spinach, stir through for a minute to wilt slightly, and then add the remaining half. Cover for 1 to 2 minutes to wilt some more, then remove the lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the moisture has evaporated and the spinach has begun to dry out. Raise the heat as needed to cook off the liquid. Turn off heat and stir in herbs. Stir in half the capers and set aside.
• Using your hands, mix the fresh and smoked salmon with 1/3 teaspoon of salt in a bowl, separating the layers of smoked salmon in the process. Set aside.
• Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the saffron and its soaking water, egg yolks, cornstarch (cornflour), lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper until smooth. Pour in the milk and cream and whisk until combined. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously to prevent the custard from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until steaming and starting to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. To assemble, start by layering half the potatoes at the bottom of a baking dish. (A deep 8-by-8-inch square, 9-inch round, or 20-by-30-centimeter rectangle will all work.) Top with half the spinach mixture followed by all the salmon. Top with the remaining potatoes and then the spinach. Pour the custard over evenly and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard has set and is starting to brown. (If your custard seems dangerously close to the top of the pan, place it on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips.) Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine remaining capers with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. (The oil should just cover the capers, so you may need to add a touch more oil, depending on the size of your pan.) Fry the capers in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the capers have opened up and become crisp.
• Spoon the fried capers over the gratin, garnish with fresh dill, and serve warm with lemon wedges.

POTATO GALETTES WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes, then cut them lengthwise in long matchsticks, using the finest julienne blade of a mandoline. Spread the potatoes out neatly in one layer on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, roll the towel up, and squeeze lightly to dry the potatoes without breaking them up. Put the potatoes into a bowl and toss them with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small (8-inch) omelet pan (a saute pan with sloped sides) over medium heat. Add half of the potatoes to the pan and press lightly with a large metal spatula to make the shreds lie flat. Cook them undisturbed for 5 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the butter around the edge of the pan and cook the potatoes for another 3 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom. Loosen the galette gently around the edge with the metal spatula and flip it over. (Be careful! The oil and butter underneath are very hot!) Add another tablespoon of butter around the edge and cook the galette for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the second side is nicely browned. With the metal spatula, transfer the galette to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes and butter to make a second galette.
• Place the two galettes on a cutting board. Spread each galette with 2 tablespoons of the creme fraiche and a layer of smoked salmon, covering the galette completely. Sprinkle with minced chives and sprinkle lightly with salt. Use a large chef's knife to cut each galette into 6 wedges and serve hot.

CREAMY COD AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot of well-salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently until tender, about 20 minutes.
• While potatoes simmer, trim, bone, and cut the cod fillets across into 2-inch pieces.
• Drain potatoes well and return to the pot. Add a pinch of cayenne, salt, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mash until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease 2 individual-sized casserole or baking dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Place both dishes on a baking sheet.
• Transfer about 2/3 cup of the mashed potatoes into each of the prepared dishes. Smooth out evenly and make a shallow depression with a spoon down the middle. Set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a deep 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shallots in the hot butter with a pinch of salt until they just start to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Add cod and wait for the sauce to come back to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, while basting with the sauce; turn and cook for 1 minute more.
• Pour in lemon juice and turn off the heat; stir for about 30 seconds.
• Divide the pieces of cod over the potato. Add enough sauce to just cover the fish and return the pan to the stove.
• Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in tarragon.
• Spoon the thickened sauce over the cod. Add a light dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cod is cooked through and the sauce is browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

EASY SMOKED SALMON AND CREAMY POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Vegetables -- Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a saute pan on medium heat and saute the onions and fennel until soft. About 5 minutes. Remove and set to the side.
• Casserole -- Lightly spray a 9x13" casserole dish with Pam, and then add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Add 5 tablespoons of the bread crumbs to the bottom of the casserole dish and press down to make a light crust on the bottom. Just spread out without pressing too much.
• Layer 1: Add 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish overlapping them like shingles. Then season with a little salt and pepper. Top with 1/2 of the salmon slices and 1 teaspoon of the chopped dill. Then add 1/2 of the fennel onion mix, and 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs.
• Layer Two: Once again, the second 1/3 of the potatoes, like a shingle pattern again, salt, pepper and then the rest of the salmon, dill and the remaining onion fennel mix. Again top with 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs.
• Layer Three: Top with the remaining potatoes, salt and pepper.
• Egg and Cream Base -- In a bowl, mix the eggs with the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and whisk to combine well. Pour the mixture over the casserole and cover with foil.
• Bake -- Middle rack at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining bread crumbs that you mixed with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Arrange the lemon slices over the top and reduce to oven to 375 and bake another 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown. It may take a bit less time depending on your pan and the type of potatoes as well as your oven. Just check. Poke a knife in the potatoes and they should be tender and the top should be golden brown and bubbly. One dish took 45 total and another 60 minutes. So, just check, that is the best way to make sure it is all done. Also the eggs with the cream will make a custard like so the eggs need to be set as well.
• Serving -- LET SET. At least 10 minutes covered with foil. Don't try to remove before then. The eggs need to set up.
• This is amazing with grilled fish for dinner or grilled lamb chops. but also serve this with fresh fruit and maybe some sausage for a breakfast dish. I have even served this with grilled asparagus on the side and some grilled scallops for a lite dinner.

GRATIN OF FRESH & SMOKED SALMON, BEETROOT, POTATOES & DILL

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into slices about ½cm thick (if there's skin on your salmon, leave it behind as you cut each slice). Tear the smoked salmon into pieces.
• Cut the potatoes into wafer thin slices as if you were making Dauphinoise potatoes. It's best (and certainly quickest) to do this with a mandoline.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and put in a baking sheet to heat up. Mix the creams and the milk in a large saucepan, and bring to just under the boil. Add the potatoes and cook gently for 5 mins, carefully turning the potatoes over from time to time. Cut the beets into slices about 2mm thick.
• Season the potatoes and cream and butter a 22 x 30cm baking dish. Spoon half of the potatoes into the dish and spread them out. Put half the beetroot on top of that, then half the fish. Season and add half the dill. Now add the rest of the beetroot and fish, seasoning again and adding the dill. Spoon the rest of the potatoes on top. You don't need to arrange the top layer of potatoes nicely unless you really want to.
• Bake for 1 hr, or until the potatoes are completely tender and the top is bubbling (it may need an additional 10 mins). Serve with a green salad or, if you want something more comforting, warm cabbage.