Baby, it's cold outside: a creamy salmon and potato gratin

I'm sitting in my office at work with a large mug of hot tea to keep me warm. It is -17 Celsius outside (1 Fahreinheit, I believe) and I'm trying not to think that I'm supposed to step outside in half an hour to meet a friend and check out a new creperie that has opened its doors near our university. It's freezing cold. But it's also incredibly beautiful - everything is covered with a thick, pure white snow blanket, and the sun is shining amazingly brightly - if briefly. Quite appropriately for such a chilly time of the year then, the Nordic food magazines provide recipes for filling and heart-warming casserole dishes and stews. The recipe for a creamy salmon and potato gratin is adapted from the Finnish Ruokamaailma. We had it on Monday night, together with some salad leaves and cucumber slices..

Salmon and potato gratin
(Lõhevormiroog)
Serves 6



500 grams salmon fillet
0.5 tsp salt
1 onion or a small leek
oil
1,5 kg potatoes, sliced
a handful of fresh dill, chopped

To cover:
3 eggs
300 ml single cream
300 ml milk
1 tsp salt
0.25 tsp white pepper

Remove the skin and small bones from the fish, season with salt and cut into smaller slices.
Peel and slice the onion, fry gently in some oil. If using leeks, then cut in half, rinse and slice thinly.
Peel the potatoes or scrub thoroughly. Slice thinly.
Grease the oven dish with oil, cover with half of the potato slices.
Now place the fish slices, fried onions/leeks and dill on top. Cover with the rest of the potato slices.
Mix the eggs, milk and cream, season and pour over the potatoes.
Bake at 175Celsius for one hour, until potatoes are tender, and the top layer has browned and crisped nicely.

Serve with a salad.