Cheesy Spinach & Salmon Roulade

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (60g) butter
• ½ cup (60g) standard flour
• 1 cup (250ml) milk (or use vegetable stock)
• 100g parmesan cheese, grated
• healthy pinch ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 250g frozen spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup (250g) cream cheese (chilled)
• ½ cup (125g) sour cream (chilled)
• 150g hot-smoked salmon (discard skin)
• ½ lemon, zest only
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Method

Preheat oven to 185°C. Grease a baking tray then line with baking paper.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add flour. Cook, stirring continuously, until a paste has formed. Reduce to low-medium heat and continue cooking roux for 2 minutes (it should be bubbling). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, heat milk to a simmer then immediately remove from heat.

Return roux to low heat. Add hot milk a little at a time, whisking continuously with each addition, until fully incorporated, completely smooth and free of lumps. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in parmesan, nutmeg, pepper and egg yolks. Set aside.

In a food processor, add spinach and process until almost smooth. Fold spinach into sauce and set aside.

Place egg whites and salt in a very clean mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer with a very clean whisk attachment on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

Transfer half the beaten egg white to spinach sauce and stir to combine. Gently fold remaining egg white into sauce, ensuring all ingredients are fully combined.

Pour mixture onto prepared tray. Using a spatula, spread mixture out ensuring an even thickness over the entire tray. Bake in oven for 18 minutes.

Remove spinach cake from oven and invert onto a piece of baking paper that is larger than the cake. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, add chilled cream cheese, chilled sour cream, salmon, lemon zest and juice, pepper, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Process until almost smooth then transfer to a bowl and fold in chives.

To assemble, spread smoked salmon cream over top of roulade (leaving a border of about 3cm around the edges). Gently roll roulade up, using the baking paper to assist but without the baking paper in the roll. Transfer to a serving dish.