Main course Modern British
Creamy Salmon, Leek and Potato Traybake
Meat & fish
Editorially prepared
Salmon grilled over roasted potatoes with tender leeks and a light cream sauce. Capers add a salty tang and chives bring freshness. A dinner for two, served straight from the baking dish.
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Ingredients
2 servings · metric units
For more servings, use a larger dish so the potatoes sit in one layer and the fillets do not overlap. Fish cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets, not their combined weight. A larger quantity of leek may need frying in batches; the schedule is for two servings.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of cream with 36% fatcream with 30% fat
This can replace the 36% cream, but the sauce will be thinner. Add the sauce water gradually, stopping when the sauce lightly coats the leek. If needed, reduce it before adding the fish; allow a few extra minutes.
- Instead of chivesfresh dill
This gives a more herbal flavour instead of a mild onion note. Chop the soft fronds, stir some into the finished sauce and reserve the rest for serving. Adjust the quantity to taste.
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Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
Oven with a grill function · Shallow metal baking dish, about 25 × 20 cm, suitable for use under the grill · Medium saucepan and colander · Frying pan, about 24 cm · One hob burner · Chopping board, knife and measuring jug · Plate for preparing the raw fish · Spatula, oven gloves and food thermometer
Method
0/10 stepsPrepare the vegetables and heat the oven
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Put a saucepan of lightly salted water on to boil. While it heats, scrub the potatoes and cut them into slices about 1 cm thick. Halve the leek lengthways, rinse thoroughly between the layers and slice into half-moons. Peel and finely chop the garlic, chop the chives, drain the capers and measure the sauce ingredients. Reserve one third of the capers and half the chives for serving. Allow about 10 minutes for preparation.
Prepare the vegetables and heat the oven Parboil the potatoes
Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Once it returns to the boil, simmer gently for about 8 minutes. They should be almost tender: a knife should enter with slight resistance and the slices should hold their shape. If the centres are still firm, cook for another 1–2 minutes and check again. Prepare the salmon in the next step while the potatoes cook.
08:00Parboil the potatoes Prepare the salmon
While the potatoes cook, pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and check for any remaining bones. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on a plate and refrigerate until assembly. Wash your hands and any utensils that have touched the raw fish.
Prepare the salmon Steam-dry the potatoes
Check the potatoes and drain them in a colander. Leave them to steam-dry for about 3 minutes from draining. Their surface should look matt, with no visible water; if still wet, shake the colander gently and leave them a little longer.
03:00Steam-dry the potatoes Roast the potatoes
Put the potatoes in the metal baking dish and toss with half the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in one layer. Place in the preheated oven and roast for about 20 minutes from putting the dish in. Prepare the leek and sauce in the following steps while they roast. Turn the potatoes after 10–12 minutes. Towards the end, check that they are fully tender with some golden edges. If not, roast for a few more minutes before adding the sauce and fish.
20:00Roast the potatoes Soften the leek
While the potatoes are in the oven, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the leek and fry for 5–7 minutes from adding it, stirring frequently. It should soften and become slightly translucent without dark browning. Lower the heat if it starts to brown; if still firm, cook a little longer.
06:00Soften the leek Make the caper cream sauce
Add the garlic to the softened leek and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Pour in 70 ml of cream and 75 ml of water for the sauce, then add the capers allocated to the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring; this should take about 2–3 minutes after adding the liquids. The sauce should be smooth and pourable, lightly coating the leek. Remove from the heat, stir in the chives allocated to the sauce and season with pepper and salt if needed. Set aside while the potatoes finish roasting.
Make the caper cream sauce Assemble the traybake
Once the potatoes are tender and lightly golden, remove the dish. Switch the oven to a high grill and let it heat for about 5 minutes, or until ready. Meanwhile, stir the sauce and spoon it with the leek between the potatoes. Place the salmon on top without overlapping the fillets. The fish should sit above the surface of the sauce.
Assemble the traybake Grill the salmon
Place the dish under the hot grill with the top of the fish about 12–15 cm from the element. Grill for about 8–12 minutes from putting it in, checking after 8 minutes. The salmon should be lightly browned, separate into flakes and reach 63°C in its thickest part; the sauce should bubble around the edges. If the fish is not ready, continue cooking and check every 1–2 minutes. Move the dish lower if the tops brown too quickly.
10:00Grill the salmon Garnish and serve
Remove the dish and scatter the remaining reserved capers and chives over the salmon and sauce. Serve straight away in the baking dish, set on a heatproof trivet. Give each person a fillet with potatoes, leek and sauce.
Garnish and serve
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Tips
- Rinse between the layers of the leek thoroughly. Grit often collects where the white part meets the green.
- Do not skip steam-drying the potatoes. Their surface should look matt before you add the oil.
- The potatoes must already be tender before assembly. The short cooking time with the fish will not finish a firm centre.
- Do not put an ordinary glass dish or baking parchment under the grill. Use a metal dish approved for grilling.
- Thicker fillets may need a few extra minutes. If the tops brown too quickly, move the dish further from the grill and continue checking the fish temperature.
Storage
Store only fully cooked fish and accompaniments. Transfer leftovers to a shallow, sealable container, cool quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours. Reheat only once, covered, until piping hot throughout. Freezing is best avoided: the potatoes may become watery and the sauce may separate.
Timing
Hands-on: 39 min · Cooking: 49 min · Resting: 3 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
