Cream Cod With Lemon, Garlic, Dill & Potato Au Gratin (GF)

Cream cod with lemon, garlic, dill and potato au gratin is a twist on baked cod in a creamy white sauce. The subtle flavors of garlic, freshly minced dill, shallots and lemon accentuate the natural sweetness of the poached cod and cream. Baked on a bed of mashed potatoes, sprinkled with Asiago cheese, nutmeg and a dash of paprika creates an elegant, yet homestyle hearty meal.

Course dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine American fusion, British fusion

Keyword baked cod, baked fish, cod, cod in cream sauce, fish in cream sauce

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Rest time 5

Total Time 1 5

Servings Servings

Calories 771kcal

Author Dr. Wendy Dearborne

Equipment

Oven proof dish
Pan large enough to fit all the cod pieces
Lined cooking sheet or baking pan

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh cod cut into equal sized 2 inch pieces
1.5 cup heavy cream
2.5 tbsp unsalted butter
1.5-2 lbs. russet potatoes boiled, mashed with 1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup Asiago cheese finely grated
1/2 cup shallots finely minced
2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
1 tbsp parsley chopped + extra for garnish
3 sprig thyme
4 cloves garlic finely minced
1 zest lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch smoked paprika
1.5 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Prep work

Preheat oven to 450°F Place rack in the center of the oven.

Preparing baking dish

Generously rub the inside of the baking dish with 1-2 tsp of butter and set aside.

Preparing cod

Rinse cod and pat dry. Cut into equal size 2" portions. Sprinkle lightly on all sides with salt. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Potatoes

Peel, wash and cut potatoes into equal sized cubes. Cover with cold water and add salt if desired and bring water to a rapid boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a potatoes are tender and paring knife goes through without resistance.
Strain water from the potatoes and return them back to the pot. Mash the potatoes with 1 tbsp of butter adding salt and black pepper to taste.
Put the mashed potatoes into the prepared baking dish. Using the handle of a wooden spoon poke a few holes into the mashed potatoes. These holes will fill with the sauce. Place the dish with potatoes onto the lined cookie sheet.

Poaching cod

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter. When the butter has melted add shallots, thyme sprigs and a good pinch of salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
To the shallots, add cream, along with lemon zest, dill, parsley, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the cream to a gentle boil. Add cod, lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Turn the fish over and cook on the other side for 1 minute only. The fish will finish cooking in the oven.
In the prepared baking dish, place the cod evenly over the mash potatoes. Spoon half of the cream sauce over the potatoes and fish.
Return the pan to high heat and reduce the cream sauce by half, stirring constantly. the sauce will thicken. Turn the heat off and mix in 1/2 of the Asiago cheese.
Spoon the cheesy thicken cream sauce over the cod and potatoes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and paprika and the rest of the cheese.
Bake in the oven until the cod is cooked through and the sauce is a light golden brown and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley to garnish. Serve with roasted or steamed vegetables or a salad.

Notes

This is my twist on a recipe that Chef John the Food Wishes vlogger shared for Creamy Cod & Potato Gratin.

Cooking the fish

In general fish doesn't take long to cook, so don't over cook the fish when poaching in the cream sauce. And don't overcook when baking it. Cod will be opaque and flakey when cooked.

Baking with cookie sheet

Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. The baking pan or cookie sheet will prevent your oven from getting messed up, because this will bubble over. Lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper is for easy clean up.

Other fish

The recipe will work well with Chilean sea bass, black cod, Hawaiian rock cod, halibut and any white fish that isn't to delicate to be poached and then baked.

Nutrition