My very own saffron! |
- 1 cup seafood stock
- 1 cup heavy cream (I actually used light cream in an attempt to make this slightly healthier)
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons good white wine, divided
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise
- 8 ounces raw halibut, cut into1-inch chunks
- 8 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups julienned leeks, white and light green parts (2 large)
- 1 1/2 cups julienned carrots (3 carrots)
- 1 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves
Directions
2. Measure out and chop all ingredients. (I can see an easy way to ruin this dish by having to stop in the midst of cooking to chop or measure.)
Chopping board of seafood |
3. Boil lobster tails: a good gauge for cooking lobster tails is to boil it (them) 1 minute per ounce of weight (ie: 4oz lobster tails should be boiled for 4 minutes); you don’t multiply the time for additional lobster tails being cooked in the same pot.
4. Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
7. Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half (about 12 minutes; if doing a half portion like I did, mine actually reduced very quickly–approximately 3-4 minutes, so keep a close eye on it), and again stir throughout the cooking time.
I used my mortar and pestle to mix the butter and flour. |
Thickened Sauce (should be a similar thickness to a Hollandaise) |
11. 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.
12. Divide the seafood among the 4 gratin dishes. Place the vegetables on top of the seafood. Pour the sauce equally over the seafood and vegetables, and spoon the crumbs evenly on top.
I felt like this should have shining lights on it! |
I served the seafood gratin with a simple spinach, arugula, and tomato salad, so as not to overpower the gratin, and with a nice French chardonnay. Add this dish to your repertoire, and you’ll be sure to wow dinner guests!