Cod au Gratin Recipe • A Newfoundland Classic! | Club Foody

 

I love all proteins and like to diversify our menu; one day it’s chicken and the next could be beef followed by fish, salad… – yeah I know it’s not a protein but we need one between all of this – then pork, and so on.
 
This easiest protein of all time is fish and for almost a decade, I’ve been sharing recipes with you like West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder, Grilled Marlin Steaks, Filet-O-Fish Sandwich, Tarragon Limoncello Halibut, Mediterranean Fish Fillet with Tapenade, Sardine Cups, Beer Battered Fish, Salmon Pie, Ceviche de Pescado (Fish Ceviche), and many more. Now here’s a great Canadian dish… Cod au Gratin!
 
This Newfoundland & Labrador casserole is simply amazing! This great Canadian classic is so easy to make and is packed with flavor! With a beautiful mix of fresh vegetables, a couple layers of potatoes plus a lovely cheese sauce, this is a meal that you’ll be making over and over after trying it!
 
For the love of “Cod”, please don’t lift your nose about having fish and cheese together… it’s actually quite stunning to be truthful! As you know, codfish is a little tame in terms of flavor so by boosting it with sautéed vegetables, a nice Cheddar cheese sauce and thinly sliced potatoes, you have an incredible meal your family will truly love!
 
Let’s start from the beginning… First, a Béchamel sauce has to be made (without the nutmeg) before moving on to the Cheddar cheese sauce. In the video, I don’t show how to prepare the basic sauce because there’s already a video on it so click here to get it… Béchamel Sauce aka White Sauce
 
Now, there’s also a video on how to make Cheddar Cheese Sauce but I thought it was important to film it again as many subscribers seem to have a problem when making it. Here are a few tips to successfully achieve a great sauce. Never, and I repeat, never buy already pre-shredded cheese! To prevent the cheese from clumping together in the bag, the producers add stabilizers like cellulose (a derivative of wood pulp and/or plant fibers) and preservatives like potato starch therefore the cheese won’t melt properly.
 
Another mistake that many do is when adding the cheese, they increase the heat. DON’T! When adding fresh grated cheese to the sauce, it will melt… trust me! If you increase the heat and the sauce starts boiling, you take the chance for the cheese to break down and separate. This is a disaster you definitely want to avoid! Also, people these days like to rush things so when it’s time to add the cheese, they add it all at once… it’s a BIG NO-NO! It has to be added by the handful, stir until melted before adding more. If the cheese is added all at once, it can clump up.
 
My version of Cod au Gratin probably differs from the others… I like to add a couple layers of thinly sliced potatoes; one at the bottom and the other over the seasoned cod pieces. My mother was making it without them and to me, it was a soupy mess! By layering potatoes at the bottom, it holds the dish nicely together while the top layer prevents the sauce from oozing down to the bottom. As you know, potatoes are hard to cook in a casserole so giving them a jump start in the microwave helps to have all the ingredients nicely cooked all at the same time.
 
The vegetables in this recipe are pretty straight forward; leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic. As codfish is slightly bland, leeks are perfect to compliment the protein as they’re mild. It gives a nice sweet oniony flavor to the dish without overpowering it. If you’re not too familiar on how to prep this vegetable, I have a great tutorial on it so click here… How to Trim, Cut & Clean Leeks
 
When it comes to fish, dill and lemon are a no brainer! They’re the perfect seasoning for the protein. It brightens up the casserole so beautifully! I also like to add some breadcrumbs just to give some crunchiness to the dish. Another added seasoning is hot paprika. It’s not traditional at all but as you know, I’m all about flavor and bland food is not my forte! Sprinkled lightly on top of the cheese sauce, it gives a nice visual presentation and a subtle oomph to the gratin.
 
This classic Newfoundland dish is a great way to enjoy cod. With healthy ingredients wrapped up in a flavorful cheese sauce, this comforting recipe is so delicious! Don’t hesitate to make this incredible casserole sometime soon…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other delicious fish recipes…
– Sausalito Smoked Salmon Dip
– Panko Breaded Fish Fillet
– Pacific Coast Salmon on the BBQ
– Grilled Fish Tacos
– Tuna Melt
– Red Snapper en Papillote
– Sole Almondine
and for even more fish recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Fish & Seafood

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit https://clubfoody.com/cf-recipes/cod-au-gratin/

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