Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood Base
- 250 g salmon fillet, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 250 g firm white fish, cod or halibut, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 200 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 150 g sea scallops, halved horizontally
Leek and Cider Cream Sauce
- 300 g leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic, minced
- 120 ml dry hard apple cider
- 150 ml fish stock
- 200 ml double cream
- 30 g plain flour
- 5 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
Cheesy Crust
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 80 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
Caramelized Apples
- 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 15 g light brown sugar
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 986 kcal
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 67 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Sodium
- 1776 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 31 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 260 mg
- Potassium
- 940 mg
- Calcium
- 555 mg
- Iron
- 11.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 286 mg
- Phosphorus
- 805 mg
- Zinc
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 724 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 85 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.32 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 3.7 mg
- Folate
- 90 mcg
- Water
- 382 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly butter your gratin dish.
In a mixing bowl, toss together the panko breadcrumbs, grated Gruyere, chopped parsley, and melted butter until evenly moistened. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks and sauté gently until they are very soft and sweet, taking care not to brown them.
Stir the minced garlic and thyme into the leeks, cooking for one minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for two minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Pour in the dry hard cider to deglaze the pan, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Allow the liquid to reduce by half. Whisk in the fish stock and double cream, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season well with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.
Gently fold the raw diced salmon, white fish, prawns, and scallops into the hot leek and cream sauce, then transfer the entire mixture immediately into your prepared gratin dish. Ensure an even layer.
Scatter the cheesy panko mixture evenly over the top of the seafood and cream base.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. The crust should be deeply golden and the sauce bubbling at the edges. Ensure the thickest pieces of fish reach an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius or 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the gratin bakes, prepare the apples. In a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple wedges and brown sugar, sautéing until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and remove from the heat.
Allow the gratin to rest for 5 minutes after removing it from the oven to let the sauce stabilize. Serve hot alongside the savory caramelized apples.
Chef's Notes
- Using dry hard cider rather than white wine imparts a distinctly Northern French profile that harmonizes seamlessly with the tart caramelized apples served on the side.
- Do not pre-cook the seafood. The gentle residual heat of the hot sauce and the oven baking time is exactly enough to poach the fish to tender perfection without turning it rubbery.
- Ensure leeks are washed extremely thoroughly after slicing. Dirt hides between the tight layers and will ruin the texture of a velvety cream sauce with unwanted grit.
- The acidity in the apple cider vinegar used to deglaze the apples provides a much-needed sharp contrast to the rich cream, cheese, and butter in the gratin.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently to prevent the seafood from becoming rubbery.
Reheating: Reheat in a 160 degrees Celsius oven until warmed through, avoiding the microwave to preserve the crust texture.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too thin and watery after baking
Cause: Seafood released too much liquid during baking or the flour base was insufficient
Fix: Spoon off excess liquid carefully, or serve with extra crusty bread to soak up the juices
Prevention: Pat seafood completely dry before assembling, and ensure the sauce coats the back of a spoon heavily before adding it to the fish
Seafood is rubbery and tough
Cause: Gratin was left in the oven for too long, overcooking the proteins
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Cut seafood into uniform chunks so they cook evenly, and pull the gratin as soon as the sauce bubbles rapidly
Apples turned to mush
Cause: Apples were sliced too thin or cooked for too long
Fix: Serve as a rustic apple compote alongside the dish rather than structured wedges
Prevention: Cut apples into thick wedges and cook quickly over medium-high heat rather than low heat
Cultural Context
This recipe draws heavy inspiration from the coastal region of Normandy in France, an area renowned for its abundant dairy, fresh Atlantic seafood, and ubiquitous apple orchards. Pairing a rich, cream-based fish stew with apple derivatives like cider or Calvados is a classic Norman technique. Serving the savory dish with caramelized apples provides a fascinating sweet-tart contrast that cuts through the intense richness of the gratin.
