Salmon and leek gratin is an easy baked fish gratin recipe with a base of delicious creamy leeks topped with fresh salmon. It's quick to make, and is ideal as a healthy mid week family meal.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- An easy, healthy fish gratin recipe that the family will love
- Great for meal prep, salmon and leek gratin bake is an ideal midweek dinner
- Salmon is one of the best sources of healthy omega 3 oils. It's a portion of oily fish that the NHS recommends that we eat once a week
- Can be made gluten free and dairy free
Ingredients
Leeks. Mild, sweet leeks go perfectly with salmon. Leeks are very nutritious too, and they are a source of probiotics and soluble fibre which are good for gut health.
Olive oil, or another healthy cooking oil. You could also use butter if you prefer.
Milk forms the base of the creamy gratin sauce. You can use whichever type of milk you prefer - so it's easy to make a dairy-free gratin if you prefer.
Cornflour/cornstarch. This acts as a thickener for the sauce and it's very easy to use.
Mustard and nutmeg. These both add extra flavour. I used dried mustard powder, but you could use a teaspoon of Dijon mustard if you prefer.
Salmon fillet. It's best to use centre-cut fillets of salmon as they'll fit into the dish more easily and bake through evenly. Make sure that there are no bones in the fish. You can remove the skin if you prefer.
Breadcrumbs. These add a little crunch to the top and provide extra texture. I make my own breadcrumbs by blitzing up leftover bread. I find that gluten-free bread makes very good breadcrumbs.
Grated parmesan. This is optional. The small amount in this salmon and leek gratin recipe adds a slight saltiness without adding an overly cheesy flavour. Parmesan won't go gooey like other types of cheese when it melts.
Variations
- Add other veggies if you like. Peas or spinach both work well with the creamy leeks. Just pop them into the sauce at the end.
- Baked fish gratin can also be made with white fish or smoked haddock. If the fillets are very thin, reduce the cooking time slightly.
You might also like this healthy salmon and broccoli quiche recipe.
How to make salmon and leek gratin
Start by washing and trimming the leeks. It's important to remove any grit - for detailed instructions on cleaning and preparing leeks see this leeks and peas recipe. Then slice the leeks into thin rings.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Gently fry the leeks for 5 minutes until they are softened and just starting to turn golden.
Stir the cornflour into the milk and mix thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and nutmeg.
Add the cornflour mixture to the leeks and bring up to the boil until the sauce thickens.
Spoon the creamy leeks into an oven proof baking dish. Push the salmon fillets down into the leeks and spoon a little of the sauce over them.
Top with the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan if using.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. The cooked salmon should flake apart with the point of a knife.
Serving and storage
This creamy salmon and leek gratin recipe is a delicious dinner by itself. But I like to add some extra veggies on the side such as peas or a green salad.
Leek and salmon gratin is great for meal prep. You can prepare the dish and leave it in the fridge for up to a day. If you are baking it from chilled, add an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time.
This healthy fish gratin recipe can also be frozen. Cool it completely then wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Leftovers can be reheated. Loosely wrap with foil and place in a preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove the foil for the last couple of minutes so the topping can crisp up again.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cook the salmon from frozen for this recipe. Allow an additional 10 minutes cooking time.
I've experimented with frozen leeks and unfortunately I was a little disappointed. The main issue is that the frozen leeks that I used were cut in quite large chunks which meant the texture was not as nice. Thinly cut leeks tend to cook down to a lovely creamy texture which is perfect in this recipe.
Yes, this is a healthy fish gratin recipe, and a generous serving has just over 300 calories. It's made without cream, so it is lower in saturated fat, and is high in omega 3 oils. Leeks are also very nutritious.
Other healthy fish recipes
You might also like these other healthy fish recipes.
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Recipe
Salmon and Leek Gratin
Equipment
- Ovenproof baking fish
- large frying pan
Ingredients
- 700 g leeks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 450 ml milk dairy or non dairy
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder or 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- 500 g salmon fillets centrepieces
- 50 g breadcrumbs gluten free if needed
- 15 g parmesan optional
Instructions
- Wash, trim and thinly slice the leeks.700 g leeks
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the leeks for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and slightly golden-coloured.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Stir the cornflour into the cold milk and season with salt and pepper, mustard and nutmeg.450 ml milk, 2 tablespoon cornflour, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder, salt and pepper
- Add the milk and cornflour slurry to the leeks and cook for a couple of minutes more to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Add the cooked leeks to an ovenproof baking dish. Nestle the salmon fillets right down into the mixture and spoon over a little of the sauce.500 g salmon fillets
- Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese if using.50 g breadcrumbs, 15 g parmesan
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. The cooked salmon should just flake apart if you insert the tip of a knife.
Notes
- For more detailed instructions on how to clean leeks, see this sauteed leeks post
- Salmon and leek gratin is an ideal meal prep fish recipe. The dish can be fully prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If the gratin is chilled when it goes into the oven, add an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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