SEAFOOD GRATIN
This isn't one for the freezer—it's one for those evenings when you want something that feels a little bit special without spending hours in the kitchen. Rich, comforting and packed with flaky salmon, cod and luxurious seafood, it's an indulgent meal for two with a perfectly adapted little portion for your baby. Luxury, but wonderfully simple.
Serves
2 adults + 1–2 baby portions
INgredients
• 550ml semi-skimmed milk (or the milk of your choice)
• 2 salmon fillets, skinned, boned and cut into chunky 2-inch pieces
• 2 cod fillets, skinned, boned and cut into chunky 2-inch pieces
• 65g unsalted butter
• 50g plain flour
• 20g fresh dill
• 8-10 cooked prawns (adult portions only)
• 4 large scallops (adult portions only)
• 1 fish stock pot (adult sauce only)
• A pinch of saffron (optional, for the adult sauce)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 bread roll, the end of a French stick or a few slices of leftover bread
• 1 handful of fresh parsley
• 50g Parmesan
To Serve
• crusty warm bread
• steamed veggies for the little ones
⸻
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the salmon and cod. Place over a medium heat and gently bring to a simmer. Avoid letting the milk boil—you simply want the fish to poach until it is just cooked.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Once melted, remove from the heat, add the flour and whisk together until you have a smooth roux.
4. Once the fish is cooked, carefully lift it from the milk with a slotted spoon. Divide enough between one or two baby dishes, then divide the remaining fish between two adult gratin dishes. Reserve all of the poaching milk.
5. Add the cooked prawns to the adult gratin dishes.
6. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the scallops for around 3 minutes on each side in a knob of butter, until they have a beautiful golden crust. Slice each scallop in half horizontally and add them to the adult gratin dishes alongside the fish and prawns.
7. Gradually whisk the warm poaching milk into the roux over a medium heat, adding it a little at a time until you have a smooth, thick béchamel sauce. Keep whisking throughout to prevent any lumps from forming or the sauce catching on the bottom of the pan.
8. Blitz the fresh dill in a food processor until finely chopped, then stir it through the béchamel.
9. Spoon enough sauce over the baby portions to coat the fish.
10. Stir the fish stock pot into the remaining sauce for the adults. If you're feeling particularly indulgent, add a pinch of saffron. Finish with a little freshly ground black pepper. Taste before adding any salt—I don't think it needs it.
11. Pour the adult sauce over the fish and seafood in the gratin dishes.
12. Without washing the food processor, add the bread and fresh parsley. Blitz until you have coarse, herby breadcrumbs. Sprinkle a little over the baby portions to add gentle texture and flavour.
13. Add the Parmesan to the food processor and blitz again until finely combined with the breadcrumbs. Scatter generously over the adult gratins.
14. Bake the adult versions for around 10 minutes, just until the topping is golden. You don't want the gratins bubbling fiercely—just beautifully warmed through with a crisp, golden topping.
### To Serve
Serve with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce and a selection of fresh green vegetables.
Using the poaching milk for your béchamel gives the sauce an incredible depth of flavour with almost no extra effort. The prawns and golden scallops turn this into a dish that feels wonderfully luxurious, making it perfect for a date night at home or a relaxed summer supper.
