Parsleyed Fish Gratin

Good Friday is this week. Aside from its religious significance, it is the last meatless Friday of the lenten season and another fish based dinner to plan. As I have indicated in a  previous post, my husband and I are not terribly adventurous when it comes to eating fish, so I am constantly looking for appealing ways to dress up basic seafood varieties such as salmon, cod or shrimp.  I came across this recipe in Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook titled, Nigella Christmas. Not only did it use the kinds of fish varieties we like, it was relatively simple and a bit different from what we are used to.

I must confess, though I find Nigella's more free-spirited and less conventional approach to cooking inspiring, and her mix of Italian, English and Indian recipes refreshing, many of her recipes I've tried have been disappointing. So, though a bit skeptical about trying this recipe, it featured ingredients we like, but more importantly, it is a "gratin" and I like just about anything "gratin".

Just think of bite sized pieces of fish nestled in a flavorful cream sauce topped with thin slices of garlic flavored potatoes. Sound somewhat familiar?  Think seafood thermidor, but with lots more flavor, and topped with potatoes instead of the usual breadcrumb finish. This is a great dinner entree or wonderful as part of a brunch buffet.

This dish was quite delicious and I would definitely make it again.  The cream sauce, though loaded with parsley and scallions was extremely flavorful, but without the parsley or onion flavors too overwhelming. The fish I used included fresh salmon, cod and shrimp, the fresher the better. All were simply scrumptious with every bite, but any combination of fish could be used - lobster, scrod, scallops, come to mind. I didn't want the dish to be soupy so I made sure to blot the fish well with paper towels before adding it to the sauce. The only thing I would do different next time, would be to use more potatoes for the topping, by either arranging the slices much closer together or adding a second circle of slices. Of course, a great bread crumb topping laced well with lemon zest and lots of parsley would also, be quite great as well. 

Parsleyed Fish Gratin

3 T. butter

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 T. dry white vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1 1/2 T. chopped chives or scallions

1 c. finely chopped parsley

2 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled & very thinly sliced

3/4 lb. skinless salmon

3/4 lb. cod or similar white fish

3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled

1 tsp. garlic oil

2 T. butter

good grinding of pepper

Make the garlic oil by heating a few crushed cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil. 

Begin by making the cream sauce:  Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and stir together for a minute or two to cook the flour.  

Take off the heat and whisk in the vermouth (or wine - I used the vermouth), mace (or nutmeg- I used the mace), salt and mustard. 

Next, add the milk (I used skim milk instead of whole and sauce was still very rich and creamy), and mix well together. Put back on heat and cook till the mixture comes to a boil and get quite thick. 

Take off the heat and stir in the parsley and scallions (or chives - I used the scallions). Pour sauce into a well greased casserole/baking vessel.  Set aside to cool slightly. 

Cut up the salmon and cod into bite sized pieces (about 2" x 1 1/2" pieces) and blot well with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.  Shell the shrimp and blot as well.  

Nestle the fish into the slightly cooled cream mixture.

Very thinly slice the unpeeled potatoes using a mandoline.  Arrange the slices in a concentric circle over the fish mixture, overlapping halfway across each potato as you go around the dish. 

Melt the 2 T. of butter into the hot garlic oil (garlic cloves removed), and generously brush over the top of the potatoes. 

Grind black pepper over the top and place in a preheated, 400 degree oven. Bake for 50 -60 minutes until bubbly and potatoes are tender.  Serves four.

  

Greek Spinach & Tomato Gratin with Pork Loin Cutlets

My refrigerator lately is stocked with ingredients typically used in making Greek style dishes. So, with ingredients like feta cheese, spinach, lemons, and mint leaves on hand I decided to put together a Greek-inspired dish to accompany the pork cutlets I had planned for my dinnertime meal. With no phyllo dough in the freezer, I was not in a position to prepare a traditional spinach pie so I decide to do the next best thing by turning a spanakopita-like filling into a gratin.  I am quite fond of gratins as side dishes for simply grilled or sautéed meats.  The richness of the gratin fillings balances well with the more subtle flavors of plain grilled meats or fish. The flavors of this gratin of spinach and tomatoes pairs especially well with the sautéed pork cutlets I have selected, but would work equally well with fish, poultry, beef, and of course, lamb.  

With a cup of heavy cream on hand, some cheese and breadcrumbs; gratins are relatively easy dishes to prepare.  Don’t have spinach; use any type of greens or veggie instead.  Change the herbs or choice of cheese and you can create an altogether different gratin. But, the process is essentially the same – a mixture of vegetables and cheese covered with heavy cream, and then topped with either grated cheese or a breadcrumb topping and voila, you’ve made a gratin!

This gratin is quite rich thanks to the heavy cream and feta cheese in the filling. The breadcrumb topping is especially crunchy due to the addition of olive oil; and the lemon zest and mint add lots and lots of flavor.  I added the chopped tomatoes simply because I had them on hand and needed to get rid of them soon, but the gratin would be equally good without them. 

Spinach & Tomato Gratin:

1 large bunch fresh spinach

3 T. olive oil

½ c. finely diced onion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

¼ c. chopped parsley, divided

¼ c. chopped mint, divided

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

Salt, pepper

4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. fresh bread crumbs

¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp. lemon zest

In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, 2 T. chopped parsley, 2 T. chopped mint and season with some salt and pepper. The topping is best when using fresh breadcrumbs. I used a combination of an artisan-style French bread and multi-grain loaf processed in the food processor. Pour about 2 T. of olive oil into the mixture to lightly moisten and set aside. This adds a rich flavor to the topping and ensures a nice crunch.

Thoroughly wash the spinach. Drain well. Put the spinach in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes till wilted. Drain in a colander pressing spinach against the sides of the colander to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. When cool enough to touch with your hands squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Now coarsely chop the spinach.

Heat a medium sized sauté pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add the chopped onion, green onion and garlic. Sauté till veggies begins to soften, but do not let garlic burn.  Take pan off the heat and add the spinach, salt, pepper, 2 T. chopped parsley, 2 T. chopped mint and mix all together. Now add the crumbled feta cheese and combine well. Spread mixture in an even layer into 2 qt. baking pan. 

Pour the heavy cream over the spinach making sure the entire surface area is just covered with the cream.  Spread the chopped tomatoes which have been lightlyseasoned with some salt and pepper over the spinach. Now cover the tomato and spinach mixture with an even and generous layer of the breadcrumb topping. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes till golden brown and bubbly. If the breadcrumbs begin to become too brown, lightly cover with some aluminum foil.

Pork Cutlets:

4 boneless pork loin chops

1 T. lemon juice

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano

¼ c. Wondra flour

1-2 T. olive oil for sautéing

While the gratin is baking prepare the pork cutlets. Pound each cutlet to an even width of about ¼ inch. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Season the meat with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano on both sides pressing lightly to make sure spices adhere to meat. Now lightly dust each chop with the Wondra, shaking off any excess. 

In a heated large sauté pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the pork chops and sauté, 3-4 minutes per side. Keep warm till gratin is ready.

A Gratin of Leeks (Porri Gratinati)

Still need a side dish for Sunday's Easter dinner? This deliciously rich Gratin of Leeks pairs well with baked ham, but is best as a side to any roasted meats, like lamb or beef. The recipe comes from the beautifully written novel A Thousand Days in Venice written by Marlena De Blasi. The book tells the true story of Ms. De Blasi, an American chef and food writer, who while visiting Venice finds the love of her life. She marries him and moves to the magical island where she resides there for a thousand days before relocating to a farm in Orvieto, Italy. The story provides a beautiful description of Venetian life through the lens of a food aficionado via Venice's food markets and restaurants. 

I originally bought this book for my daughter who at the time was a 19 year old student studying abroad in Padua, Italy, a city approximately 25 kilometers from Venice in the Veneto region. After realizing the book was about a middle aged woman and more suited to me than her, I kept the book for myself and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. De Blasi's romantic love story.

As a bonus she provides a handful of wonderful recipes of Venetian inspired  dishes. This Gratin of Leeks is one of my favorites. It's quite rich so I only make it for special occasions.  It can be put together quickly and uses just a handful of ingredients. It can also be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated overnight and baked on the day it is needed.

A Gratin of Leeks

3 large leeks, dark green parts & root ends trimmed off

2 large sweet onions (Walla Walla, Vidalia, or Texas Sweet) sliced thin

2 c. mascarpone cheese (16 oz.)

1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

1 tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked

1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 c. grappa or vodka

2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 T. unsalted butter

Clean and prepare leeks: split lengthwise and then cut into thin rounds. Rinse thoroughly and drain very well. For added measure place drained leeks on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

Placed cleaned and well drained leeks into a large bowl. Add sliced onions and combine.

In separate bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese and butter. 

Add mascarpone mixture to onions. Mix well to evenly coat all the leeks and onions.

Place into a casserole pan coated with the 1 T. butter.  

Sprinkle generously with the Parmesan cheese and place into a 400 degree oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and the top has developed a deep golden crust.