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Seafood Gratin

This is another winner from the incomparable Ina Garten. It's a super rich, super decadent, special occasion dish. I made it for my foodie son's 24th birthday.
Ina's recipe calls for making four individual servings, but I like making this in a single gratin or Pyrex dish for easy serving. I also think a single batch makes at least 6 servings so I would recommend 6 smaller dishes if you decide to go for individual receptacles.
My one and a half batches (pictured in a 9x12 Pyrex) fed 9 with a bit leftover. Since I have real difficulty finding decent lobster at 5000 feet in Colorado, I ended up using an extra 4 oz per recipe of the shrimp and fish (I used cod) to keep it affordable. I also swapped the seafood stock for lobster stock made from Lobster Better than Bouillon (available at Amazon) which replaced the lobster flavor. Serve it with some kind of pasta to "grab the sauce" like rotini or mini shells.
Let us know if you indulge in this beautiful dish.
elizabeth@thehouseofobrien.com
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup seafood stock, lobster stock or clam juice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp good dry white wine, divided
  • 3 tbsp tomato pureé
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise
  • 8 ounces raw halibut or cod, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 8 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cups julienned leeks, white and light green parts (2 large
  • 1 1/2 cups julienned carrots (3 carrots)
  • 1 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves (I used only 1-1 1/2 tsp because tarragon is a strong flavor for me)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
    Place 4 individual gratin dishes on sheet pans. (If recipe is doubled serve it in a 14 by 9 1/4-inch oval gratin dish.)
    Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the shrimp.
    After 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl. Add the halibut to the stock for 3 minutes, until just cooked through, and remove to the same bowl. Add the cooked lobster to the bowl.
    Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
    Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
    Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened.
    Divide the seafood among the 4 gratin dishes. Strew the vegetables on top of each dish. Pour the sauce equally over the seafood and vegetables and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.