Gluten-Free Cod Au Gratin!
This weekend - and the past few weeks - is/has been a big push to get out post-tornado kitchen reconstruction DONE. Well, not quite done-done ... we won't have the lumber for the cabinet faces and doors for a while, and those will take some serious time to make ... but functional.
I haven't had a functional kitchen since we bought this house, a year ago. The kitchen, as we bought it, was only barely functional - you may have seen the "before" pictures and description on twitter. Don't worry, I'll be posting the awful "befores" when I can finally post the "afters"!
This weekend is all about building the cabinetry to surround the slide-in oven, which has been free-standing since we moved in. By Monday, I should not only have the base cabinets, but tiled counter AND backsplash there, also. *CANNOT WAIT*. I'm not being facetious there, either. We've been discussing all of the great foods I haven't been able to make in a long time, as well as the recipes I've been mentally designing ever since losing my kitchen. All of this takeout food... ugh.
So, we went to the store to pick up groceries for the first couple of meals I'll be able to make, and I used one of my new counters - and my freshly-installed sink area! - to make Cod au Gratin on Friday night. Aw yeah.
Cod au Gratin is a traditional Newfoundland dish, and one of my all time favorites. Generally speaking, it consists of cod, Béchamel sauce, and cheese / bread crumbs on top... but - of course - I started bastardizing it the first time I made it. Béchamel became a hearty cheese sauce. I've made this with dill, with asparagus, with bacon, and with other seafood involved. It's just one of those recipes that I make by "feel", and I've never written down measurements or anything as I've gone. Til now.
This version is for a good base cod au gratin - there's a lot more going on in it than the basic, traditional recipe - but that's how I like it. This version uses a lot of my favorite flavors to combine with fish - wine, mustard, garlic, onions, savoury. Feel free to add or substitute items as you like... dill instead of savoury. Add some veggies and convince yourself it's healthy! (I like asparagus or broccoli). Change the cheese. Top with buttered bread crumbs instead of smashed potato chips... it's a very versatile recipe!
Note: Yep, I've made this gluten free, because I'm self serving like that 🙂 If you're a purist, feel free to start this with a Béchamel sauce, rather than my milk-and-potato starch base!
Cod Au Gratin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Fresh Boneless Cod Loins*
- ¼ cup Butter
- ½ Small Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves pressed or minced
- ¼ cup Potato Starch
- 1 Tbsp Prepared Mustard
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine
- 2 ¼ cups Milk
- ⅔ cup Shredded Parmesan Ceese
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tsp Dried Summer Savoury
- Salt & pepper
- 1 Small bag Plain Potato Chips crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Cut cod into 1" pieces, arrange in an 8x8" baking pan. Alternately, you can divide them between 4-6 individual ramekins. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and cook - stirring frequently - until onions are tender and translucent. Add potato starch to the pot, cook for another minute, tirring frequently. Add Dijon, whisking until well incorporated.
- Carefully add wine to pot, whisking until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking frequently. Add milk, once again whisking until smooth. Heat until mixture starts to thicken.
- Once sauce mixture starts to thicken, add half of the Parmesan and a small handful of the cheddar, stirring until thick, melted, and smooth. Add savoury, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over fish, stirring to coat and distribute evenly.
- Scatter cheddar cheese across the top of the fish mixture, then remaining Parmesan. Spread crumbled potato chips on top
- Bake – uncovered- for about 35 (individual ramekins) - 50 minutes (8x8 pan), or until fish is cooked through, and sauce is bubbly.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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