My delicious seafood lasagne experiment

Experimentation is the key to creating new dishes. If you don't experiment, you won't discover things that are exquisitely different.

Lasagna for the gods of the sea. Pic: Shutterstock

Let’s take lasagna, for example. While most people make it with beef, why not experiment with a vegan or seafood version?

I love prawns and salmon, so this was my experiment, create a lasagna out of the seafood that I love.

While this isn't a dish you can whip up in an instant, it takes a little over an hour, and will see you and your guests hungry for more. Serves 4-5 people in one go.

Seafood lasagne

Ingredients

40g Pepe Saya European-style cultured butter.

1 medium leek, trimmed, halved, washed, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/3 cup plain flour

2 cups The Stock Merchant free-range chicken stock

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon French Dijon mustard

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

500g salmon fillets, cut into 2cm pieces

12 (400g) king prawns, peeled, deveined or cut

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon Kyneton’s basil infused extra virgin olive oil

6 fresh lasagne sheets

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.

Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm x 31cm baking dish.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add leek, carrot, thyme and garlic.

Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek has softened. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stock and milk, stirring for 5-7 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

Add mustard and half the cheese. Stir to combine.

Remove from heat. Stand for 10 minutes.

Stir in salmon and prawns. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine breadcrumbs, olive oil and remaining cheese in a bowl.

Line the prepared baking dish with 2 lasagne sheets.

Top with 1/3 seafood mixture.

Top with another 2 lasagne sheets and half remaining seafood mixture. Repeat with remaining lasagne sheets and seafood mixture.

Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pasta is tender and breadcrumbs are golden.

Stand for 10 minutes.

Serve with a crisp green salad and a smile. Then soak up the compliments. Enjoy!

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