Fresh salmon poached and flaked into a nutty gruyere cheese and dill sauce and cooked into a fluffy flan with a light filo pastry shell is ideal for enjoying with friends.

Ingredients

• Pastry base
• 8 sheets filo pastry
• 50 grams butter, melted
• Filling
• 2 salmon steaks
• 1½ cups milk
• 1 bayleaf
• 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
• 50 grams butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 sliced spring onions
• 30-60 grams sliced ham
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
• fresh dill to garnish

Method

1. Put the salmon steaks, milk, bayleaf and pepper into a small pan and simmer until just cooked. Remove the salmon and allow to cool. Strain and reserve the milk.
2. Heat the butter in a clean saucepan and add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes until frothy. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved milk and simmer until thick. Add the spring onions, ham, egg yolks, chopped dill and the gruyere cheese.
3. Flake the salmon, discarding the bones and skin. Stir into the sauce.
4. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into the fish sauce. Turn into the chilled pastry base.
5. Bake at 200ºC for 35 minutes until well-risen and golden. Serve hot or cold, garnished with fresh dill.
6. To make the pastry base
7. Brush one sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and top with a second sheet. Continue layering until all the sheets are buttered. Use to line the base and sides of a deep 23cm flan tin.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.