When I say Thermomix Seafood Lasagna with Beetroot Béchamel the truth is that you can totally do this without it, you just need a powerful blender to make the beetroot milk and then do everything else the conventional way. I just like making it in the Thermomix as it is so much more convenient, fast, clean and well, easy!
Yes, you are right in thinking that this recipe builds on my current Beetroot Béchamel obsession but seriously, it's just so good that you have to try it!
You will need a nut milk bag, a cheesecloth or a very fine sieve to make the beetroot béchamel, I use the Living Synergy Nut Milk Bag that Lesley sells in the UK (£11.50 including delivery). If you are in the Thermomix Owners UK group you can find Lesley there or email her through her website.
If you're still wondering what a Thermomix is and why I'm such a thermogeek? You can read all about it here.
Right, ready? Here we go...
Thermomix Seafood Lasagna with Beetroot Béchamel
Serves 6-8 - Approx. 50-60 minutes
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For the tomato sauce:
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
10 g olive oil
800 g tinned or fresh plum tomatoes
A good glug of Worcestershire sauce
A pinch of salt
Black pepper
2 salmon steaks, or more if you want to make a bigger lasagna, diced in quite small chunks
2 good handfuls of prawns
Juice of half lemon
1 spring onion, finely sliced
Beetroot béchamel:
Approx. 150-200 g raw beetroot, peeled and quartered, the more you add the more the beetroot flavour will come across
500 g milk, both whole and skimmed work
15 g olive oil
50 g unsalted butter
50 g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper (mill)
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Fresh lasagna sheets (or homemade ones if you're brave enough)
Parmesan cheese
Method:
Firstly we make the tomato sauce:
1. Mince the 2-3 garlic cloves and 2 medium onions: 7 seconds, speed 5.
2. Scrape down, add 10 g olive oil: 5 minutes, 100ºC, speed 1.
3. Add the 800 g tomatoes, a good glug of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of salt and black pepper: 10 minutes, 100ºC, speed 3, with the inner basket on top of the lid instead of the measuring cup.
Then we mix it with the seafood:
4. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan, over a medium heat, add the salmon, prawns and spring onions and stir, fry for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the tomato sauce and stir regularly while you make…
Quick beetroot béchamel
(this type of béchamel is perfect for lasagna because needs further cooking in the oven, for the "full" version see here)
6. Chop the raw beetroot: 10 seconds, speed 7.
7. Add the 500 g milk: 2 minutes, speed 10. Strain well with a nut milk bag.
8. Add the rest of the ingredients (15 g extra virgin olive oil + 50 g unsalted butter + 50 g plain flour + 1 teaspoon salt + freshly ground black pepper + pinch of grated nutmeg): 8 minutes, 100ºC, speed 4.
9. It's time to put the lasagna together, as the sauce was a bit runnier than bolognese I started with a layer of lasagna sheets in the bottom of the pyrex dish, then a layer of seafood tomato sauce, another layer of lasagna sheets and finished with a final layer of lasagna sheets topped with beetroot béchamel and a good sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese. I didn't need all the béchamel so popped it in the fridge to eat on its own the next day (I told you it's delicious).
In the photos the beetroot béchamel is not as pink because I used Why is There Air's recipe (we were comparing notes on my idea and she used cooked beetroot to test it), if you use raw beetroot the colour of the béchamel will be much brighter, creating a spectacular dish. Jane will post her own recipe soon, once she is settled in her new house.
If you prefer a normal meaty lasagna next time, here is my recipe!
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