Avani's seafood gratin

Recipe by Avani - she made this during our Christmas holidays, one of the days when we had family over. It turned out great!
The recipe is originally by Ina Garten.

I first saw Ina Garten make this dish on her show and loved it.  This is my version which lacks some of the high-fat ingredients but tastes pretty damn good.  It makes a beautiful entree on any special occasion especially around the holidays if you are in the mood to skip the turkey.  For people who are not very comfortable with cooking seafood, its a great way to start.

The below measurements make about 5 servings.  (Smallish serving size recommended)

1/2 pound shrimp

1/2 pound halibut/ grouper

1/2 pound bay scallops/ lobster

(I used grouper since halibut was out of season and scallops)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock or fish stock

1 cup white wine

4-6 sticks of saffron

1/2 coup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

leeks/ fennel

carrots

parsley

breadcrubs

butter

salt & pepper

In a wide saucepan, mix together the chicken stock, wine, tomato paste, heavy cream and milk and put it on low to heat to eventually simmer.  Add the saffron and stir occassionally till it starts to bubble gently at the sides.  Drop the shrimp into the sauce and fish it out after 2 minutes or when the shrimp turn pink and curl up, whichever is earlier.  The timing is important since we dont want to cook the seafood too much.  Repeat the same with the fish and scallops.  If you are using cooked lobster meat, you can skip this step.  Once you have cooked the seafood, let the sauce gently simmer and reduce almost by half.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat up some butter in a saute pan and cook long slices of leeks or fennel and carrots lightly for abour 3-4 minutes.  We want the vegetables to retain their crunch.

Next, use 1 stick of butter at room temperature and add about 2 cups of panko bradcrubs, salt, peper and parsley and mix together gently.  This will make the crust of our gratin. 

Spray some olive/oil or use butter to coat a baking dish and add the cooked seafood and vegetables.  Pour the reduced sauce on top and then arrange the breadcrumbs crust.  Since the vegetables and seafood is already cooked, we just need to heat the dish trhough and make a golden brown crust.  Bake in a 350C oven for 10 minutes and broil for about 2 minutes to get a crunchy crust.

I served my gratin with a good french baguette and baby spinach salad.