Salmon Florentine
Salmon fillets on a bed of garlicky wilted spinach, blanketed in a creamy Gruyère Mornay sauce and baked until golden and bubbling. The sauce is rich and savoury, the spinach is silky underneath, and the salmon stays tender in the middle!
Ingredients
For the Mornay sauce
- 40 gr unsalted butter
- 40 gr plain flour
- 500 ml whole milk
- 80 gr Gruyère grated
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 30 gr Parmesan cheese grated
- salt and black pepper
For the spinach
- 500 gr spinach or 250g frozen, thawed
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 20 gr unsalted butter
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
1. Wilt the spinach
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Soften the shallot for 3 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then add the spinach in handfuls, wilting it down. Tip into a sieve and press hard (or squeeze in a tea towel) to remove all the water. Season and set aside.
2. Make the béchamel
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes to a pale roux. Off the heat, whisk in the milk gradually, then return to medium heat and whisk until thickened and coating the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
3. Turn it into Mornay
- Off the heat, stir in most of the Gruyère and Parmesan (keep some back for the top) until smooth and glossy.
4. Assemble
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the squeezed spinach in a baking dish. Nestle the salmon fillets on top, season, and squeeze over the lemon. Pour the Mornay over to blanket everything, then scatter with the reserved cheese.
5. Bake
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. Finish under a hot grill for 1 to 2 minutes for a golden top.
6. Serve
- Rest 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with new potatoes, rice, or crusty bread and a green salad.
Notes
- Squeeze the spinach dry, or the dish goes watery. This is the key step.
- Add the cheese off the heat, or the sauce can go grainy.
- Mornay = béchamel + cheese. Full béchamel method on the linked page.
- Don't overcook the salmon: just opaque and flaking, since it keeps cooking in the hot sauce.
- Make ahead: spinach and Mornay a day in advance; assemble with fresh salmon and bake.