Delia Smith Salmon Lasagne Recipe

Delia Smith’s salmon lasagne uses three types of fish in a single dish: fresh salmon, smoked salmon, and prawns, all layered between pasta sheets with a Parmesan-topped white sauce. I did not think fish belonged in a lasagne until I tried this one.

It serves 6, bakes at 200°C (180°C fan) for 40 to 45 minutes, and the smoked salmon seasons the whole sauce from the inside so you barely need any extra salt. This salmon lasagne recipe is from Delia’s Summer Collection and it has replaced the meat version in my house for most of the year.

More Salmon Recipes:

• Salmon En Croute
• Salmon in Foil
• Whole Poached Salmon

Three Fish, One Dish

The fresh salmon gives you the meaty bite, the smoked salmon adds salt and depth without needing stock cubes, and the prawns bring a different texture between the layers. Delia uses all three raw, so there is no pre-cooking involved.

What holds it together is the infused white sauce. Delia heats the milk with a slice of onion, a bay leaf, and parsley stalks before making the roux, and that step is the difference between a bland fish lasagne and one that actually tastes of something.

Salmon Lasagne Ingredients

The Fish:

• 450g (1 lb) salmon fillet, skinned, cut into small cubes
• 175g (6 oz) smoked salmon, chopped
• 175g (6 oz) frozen prawns, defrosted and patted dry

The Sauce and Pasta:

• 750ml (1¼ pints) milk, infused with a bay leaf, parsley stalks, and a slice of onion
• 50g (2 oz) butter
• 50g (2 oz) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 150ml (5 fl oz) double cream (heavy cream)
• 50g (2 oz) Parmesan, grated
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and cayenne pepper
• 6 fresh lasagne sheets

How To Make Delia Smith Salmon Lasagne

1. Infuse the milk: Heat the milk gently with the onion slice, bay leaf, and parsley stalks. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then strain and set aside.
2. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the plain flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the infused milk until smooth and thick. Stir in the double cream, season with salt, cayenne, and nutmeg.
3. Mix the fish: Combine the cubed salmon, chopped smoked salmon, and prawns in a bowl. Season lightly.
4. Layer the dish: Spread a thin layer of sauce on the base of a greased baking dish. Add a layer of pasta sheets, scatter over half the fish mixture, and spoon over more sauce. Repeat, finishing with a final layer of sauce on top.
5. Add the topping: Scatter the grated Parmesan evenly over the surface.
6. Bake: Cook at 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6) for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbling, golden on top, and the pasta feels tender when you push a knife through the centre.
7. Rest before serving: Leave it for 10 minutes so the sauce sets and the slices hold together on the plate.

Why You Infuse the Milk First

I skipped this step the first time and the sauce tasted of nothing but flour and cream. The onion and bay leaf only need a few minutes in warm milk, but they give the sauce a savoury base that stops the whole dish tasting flat.

Most salmon lasagne recipes skip the milk infusion, which is why Delia Smith’s version tastes so different. She uses this same method in her lasagne al forno, but swaps black pepper for cayenne here because the gentle warmth works better with the smoked salmon.

The Morning After

This lasagne reheats better than it has any right to. Cover the dish with foil and warm at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the top.

It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, and you can also freeze it unbaked for up to a month. Bake from frozen with an extra 15 to 20 minutes, keeping the foil on until the last 10 minutes.

Salmon Lasagne Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 580 kcal
• Protein: 38g
• Fat: 32g
• Carbohydrates: 34g
• Sugar: 6g

Estimated per serving, based on 6 servings.

More From the Site:

• Salmon Coulibiac
• Lasagne al Forno
• All Salmon Recipes