Rick Stein's gratin recipe is delicious way to use 'any white fish' in 1 hour

Move over mundane fish dishes; it's time to get creative with your seafood. Whipping up a deliciously textured and flavoursome gratin can be effortlessly exciting.

Renowned chef Rick Stein proposes an easy yet scrumptious cod gratin dish featured in an episode of Rick Stein's Long Weekends, in which he pays a visit to the frosty climes of Reykjavik, Iceland. Yet, his true bond with premium, freshly caught fish lies in the heart of Padstow, Cornwall.

This enchanting port town is not only a hotspot for reeling in cod but also the launchpad of Rick's gastronomic ventures, reports the Express. The basic version of this dish comprises a mere eight ingredients and offers ample room for variation, as Rick emphasises: "You can use any white fish in this gratin recipe, and you can flex your chef muscles over the béarnaise sauce."

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Rich Stein's cod gratin recipe Ingredients

• Two leeks, sliced
• Two carrots, sliced
• One onion, chopped
• 40g/11⁄2oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 600g/1lb 5oz cod loin, skinned and cut into 3cm/1in chunks
• Two tbsp plain flour
• 50ml/2fl oz dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the béarnaise sauce:

• 70ml/21⁄2fl oz white wine vinegar
• Two shallots, finely chopped
• Two sprigs of fresh tarragon, plus one tsp freshly chopped
• One bay leaf
• Six peppercorns
• Four free-range egg yolks
• 300g/101⁄2oz unsalted butter

Method

Start by popping some butter, leeks, and carrots into a large saucepan. Allow them to sizzle gently until they soften and develop a rich caramel undertone, reports the Express.

Introduce the cod and flour, stirring steadily on the flame for a minute or two prior to stirring in the wine. Let the mixture simmer until it has thickened.

Season the mix with salt and pepper according to your palate, then pivot to the béarnaise sauce task. Warm the vinegar in a small pan, then add shallots, tarragon sprigs, a bay leaf, and peppercorns.

Let the concoction simmer over medium heat until the liquid decreases by at least half its original volume, then strain the liquid and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4, and butter a shallow ovenproof dish.

Break the egg yolks into a bowl and introduce a teaspoon of water to loosen them up. Gradually add this mixture into the cooled, strained vinegar, stirring continuously.

Transfer this mixture into a heatproof bowl positioned over a pan of gently simmering water.

Whisk until it has expanded in volume and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

In a separate saucepan, melt the unsalted butter on the hob. Then, remove the bowl containing the egg yolk and vinegar mixture from the heat and gradually pour in the melted butter in a steady stream, whisking the whole time.

Continue to whisk until the mixture has thickened and achieved a smooth consistency. Fold in the finely chopped tarragon and season with salt and pepper according to your preference.

Transfer the cod and vegetable mixture into the ovenproof dish, cover it with the béarnaise sauce and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.