Creamy Haddock Gratins Recipes

HADDOCK AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter a medium or large baking dish.
• Rinse and dry fillets. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• In a skillet or frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Saute onion in butter until golden. Stir in flour until completely incorporated. Stir in mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, light and heavy creams. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Pour sauce over fish and sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until brown and bubbly.

CREAMY HADDOCK GRATINS

Steps:

• Place 4-6 small, shallow flameproof dishes on a baking tray.
• For the gratin topping, mix the breadcrumbs, gruyere and parsley and set aside while you make the filling.
• For the filling, pour the milk into a large, deep frying pan and add the onion, bay leaf and lemon peel. Place the fish skin-side down in the pan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Baste the fish occasionally with the milk, and cook for 5-6 minutes. When cooked, the fish will be opaque and be starting to flake into pieces. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
• Drain the fish in a colander over a large jug, reserve the milk.
• Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and slowly add the reserved warm milk, stirring constantly. Return to the heat, bring the sauce to a simmer and continue to stir until it is smooth and thick. Stir in the wine or vermout, Gruyère, mustard and cream. Cook over a low heat for a further 2-3 minutes, while stirring. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Flake the fish into chunky pieces and discard the skin, onion, bay leaf and lemon peel. Add the fish to the pan with the sauce and heat very gently for a 2 minutes to warm it through.
• While the fish is warming, preheat the grill to hot and place the baking tray with the shallow dishes under the heat to warm for a few seconds. Carefully remove them from the heat and divide the hot fish mixture between the warm dishes. Sprinkle with the gratin topping and return to the grill for 3-5 minutes or until nicely browned and filling bubbling undeneath.

HADDOCK & JARLSBERG GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet inside. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium-low heat, and cook the onions until golden and soft, about 15-20 mins.
• Cut the haddock into 2 x 4cm pieces. Cut the potatoes into wafer-thin slices using a mandoline or sharp knife - if the slices aren't thin enough, the potatoes won't become tender while the fish cooks.
• Heat the double cream and soured cream in a saucepan large enough to hold all the potatoes. Bring to just under the boil, then add the potatoes and season well. Cook gently for about 10 mins until the potatoes are just slightly softened.
• Butter a 2-litre pie dish. Spoon in a third of the potatoes, then scatter over half the onions and a quarter of the cheese. Lay half the fish pieces on top, then season. Sprinkle over another quarter of the cheese, then add another third of the potatoes, then the remaining onions and another quarter of cheese. Add the remaining fish on top, season, then scatter over the remaining potatoes. Pour over any leftover cream mixture, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
• Carefully slide the dish onto the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 40-45 mins, or until golden and the potatoes are tender. If you want to freeze the gratin, leave to cool completely first, then cover tightly. Will keep in the freezer for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 20 mins.

SMOKED HADDOCK GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the spinach in a large colander in a sink and carefully and slowly pour over a kettleful of hot water to wilt it. Cool again under the cold tap then squeeze out as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Butter a medium gratin dish. Roughly chop the spinach and scatter evenly over the base of the dish. Season the spinach lightly with salt and pepper and lay the haddock fillets, skinned side down on top. Nestle the tomatoes among the haddock fillets.
• Mix all the ingredients for the topping, except the breadcrumbs, in a small bowl and season with lots of pepper and a little salt. Dollop and spread the mixture over the fish and spinach. Scatter everything with the breadcrumbs and bake for 30 mins until bubbling and golden. If you like things really grilled finish for a few mins under a hot grill. Serve straight from the dish.