Salmon Gratin (Adapted from Julia Child)

Submitted by coconutty

"This recipe can also be made with seafood. This is how I make it using canned salmon. The pastry crust is optional. Now that I am using almond milk (I like Almond Breeze), I will probably use that to replace the milk or cream. The cook time does not include baking time for the optional pastry shell."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 3

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup boiling milk, cream or 1 cup half-and-half
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine (optional) or 1/4 cup vermouth (optional)
• juice, from salmon can (if any)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1⁄2 cups canned salmon, flaked (a few small chunks are OK)
• 1⁄4 cup grated swiss cheese or 1/4 cup gruyere cheese
• mushrooms, sauteed in their own juice (optional) or lemon juice (optional)

directions

1. Cook onion in butter over low heat about 5 min or so – do not brown. Add flour, cook 2 minutes without coloring.
2. Off heat, beat in boiling milk, wine (if using), salmon juice (if using), and seasoning. Boil several minutes to thicken. Thin to medium consistency with 4-6 T. additional milk. Taste for seasoning. Fold salmon (and mushrooms, if using) into sauce, check seasoning.
3. Spread in 8” shallow baking dish or cooked pastry shell. Sprinkle on the cheese.
4. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, or til top is nicely browned.
5. Note: You can also add extra ingredients such as peas, diced hard boiled eggs, etc. to the casserole.

Reviews

[Everlasting_Grey]

Please allow me to tell you how I enjoyed this... Only minimal tweaks. I used garbanzo bean flour and soy milk. In place of the cheese, I used soy cheddar; it was all the dairy free I had on hand. (I would love to use swiss next time!) I also used fresh oregano because I just so happened to have some. I did add the dry white wine and some green peas; would have added the mushrooms had I had some on hand. I did not add lemon, nor did I add in garlic (two of my most used ingredients) It didn't need them! It was delicious all on it's own... I even thought of maybe adding some thyme, but decided not to, especially after tasting. Quite simple and easy to make. So, so good....I would love to make this again sometime using mushrooms and perhaps boiled egg. Perhaps I'll experiment with other ingredients. I'd love to try it with tuna. I might add in some fettuccini pasta sometime. Thank you very much!