Weeknight Salmon Au Gratin with Lightened-Up White Wine Sauce and Spinach
A quick Creamy Sauce enriched with Sherry tops Salmon Fillets and Spinach Leaves with a crisp Garlic-Herb Sourdough Bread Topping. Lightened-Up, satisfying and Delicious! No cream and gluten free adaptable. I think you will love this Lightenend-Up Salmon Au Gratin dish!
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 1 large casserole baking dish about 13" x 9" (I use an oval one)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Salmon Fillet I use Faroe Island; skin removed. (Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.)
White Wine Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably organic
- 1 tablespoon shallots peeled; minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic peeled; minced
- 2 tablespoons Gluten Free Flour blend can use regular flour
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 large pinches cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons Dry Sherry can use a dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth low salt! (I use homemade chicken stock)
- 1 cup full fat milk
- 1 large fresh thyme sprig
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups large leaf fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup parmesan reggiano cheese grated
Fresh Breadcrumb Topping:
- 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs*
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
White Wine Sauce:
- Add 2 T. butter to a heavy (non reactive)2 quart pot. Melt over low-medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots, cook 1 minute. Add flour, pepper and cayenne pepper - cook stirring I minute.
- Add sherry, stir in with a whisk. Add the broth and milk. Whisk to emulsify the sauce - bring to a simmer, reduce sauce to thicken for 5 minutes over low heat. Add thyme sprig, lemon juice, sea salt, fresh spinach and parmesan cheese. Stir well with a wooden spoon (spinach will wilt) - remove from heat. Sauce should be thick, it will thin out when baking with the salmon. Taste for salt.
Bake in Oven in Casserole Dish:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut salmon into 4 equal sized portions (skins removed.) I like to let come to room temp. for 15 minutes. Add to a casserole dish, spacing them ; I used an enamel coated cast iron oval one, 13" L x 9" W.
- Pour the sauce with spinach over the salmon, coating the salmon with the sauce. Push the spinach to the sides (see photo.)
Breadcrumb Au Gratin Topping:
- Mix all four ingredients together in a small bowl. Top the coated salmon with equal portions of the mixture, do not press down.Add some 1/3" lemon slices over the sauce if desired (I did.) Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 125 - 130F. - medium-rare, on thickest part of the fish. (The salmon continues to cook a bit when out of the oven in the hot sauce.)There is a good amount of sauce here! Add your favorite pasta to the sauce; I like Rice Linguine (gluten free.) Serve with lemon wedges if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Fresh Breadcrumbs: Cut the crust off a piece of fresh bread - I use sourdough; gluten free bread can be used too. Tear into pieces; pulse in small food processor until crumbs. (Can also cut finely on a board with a knife.)
There is plenty of sauce to add your favorite cooked pasta or rice. I like linguine rice pasta.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 1180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2742IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 3mg