Smoked Salmon Dauphinoise

Prime smoked salmon makes a hassle-free starter or salad, but the less appealing pieces and offcuts can also be delicious in cooking.

If you’re looking for recipe ideas, check out the new recipe website www.cookwithavonmore.ie which currently features over 130 recipes - including Christmas cooking ideas from several chefs, and a full range of starters, soups, sauces, main courses, and desserts – and promotes the message of using Irish ingredients for better quality.

The site, which is designed to evolve and grow as new material is regularly added, also has a new online food video channel embedded within it and the first programme, features three easy-to-prepare recipes presented by Paul Flynn of The Tannery Restaurant & Cookery School – including this tempting Smoked Salmon Dauphinoise which, like all of Paul Flynn’s cooking, is as down to earth as it is delicious.

The amount of smoked salmon needed is not large because, as Paul points out in the video, the strong flavour permeates the dish very easily and you don’t want it to be overpowering.

Serves 4 as a light meal to serve with a side salad.

Knob of butter for greasing
200ml/7 fl oz Avonmore milk
200ml/ 7 fl oz Avonmore cream
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
600g /1 1/4 lb floury potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
150g/5 oz smoked salmon

Preheat a cool oven, 150ºC/300ºF/gas mark 2.

Grease a large ovenproof dish with the butter. Place the milk, cream and crushed garlic and potatoes, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil over a low heat. Stir a few times to make sure the potatoes are evenly coated with the milk/cream. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender and the potato starch has thickened the milk.

Turn half of the potato mixture into the buttered dish and try to make sure they are submerged under the liquid. Place a layer of the thinly sliced salmon on top. Cover with the remaining potatoes.

Bake for around 45 minutes until golden on top.