Leek and smoked haddock lasagne with curry spices

Leek and smoked haddock lasagne. Photograph: Harry Weir
Leek and smoked haddock lasagne. Photograph: Harry Weir
Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 600ml milk
  • 250ml cream
  • 2tsp curry powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2 leeks, cut into ½cm rounds and washed
  • 250g smoked haddock fillet, bones removed
  • 2tbs raisins
  • 50g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 9 dried lasagne sheets
  • 120g mature cheddar, grated
  • 50g Parmesan, grated

1 Put the milk, cream, curry powder, bay leaf, ginger, salt and black pepper into a pot and whisk together.

2 Add the leeks, smoked haddock and raisins. Cover and gently bring to a simmer and cook for three minutes. Stir to break up the fish into smaller pieces. Strain all the liquid from the pot, reserving it for the sauce, and set aside the leek and haddock mix.

3 Melt the butter in another pot, then add the flour. Whisk together over a gentle heat, then slowly add the cooking liquid, until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. Continue to cook over a very low heat for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to make sure there are no lumps. It will gradually thicken up. Check the seasoning.

4 Start to layer the lasagne. Take a deep casserole or baking dish and put a layer of the sauce on the base ,then put three sheets of pasta on top.

5 Scatter half the leek and haddock mixture over the pasta, then enough of the sauce to cover, followed by some of the cheese. Place another layer of pasta on top, followed be the remaining leek and haddock mix, some more sauce and cheese.

6 Cover with the final layer of pasta, then top with the remaining sauce and cheese. At this point, when it’s completely cool, you can put it in the freezer if you like.

7 If you are cooking it immediately, put it in an oven preheated to 185 degrees and bake for 40 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford

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