Fish is something that just shouldn’t be paired with cheese. I mean, that is an old saying right. .
I honestly don’t know where I heard that from, but it is something that is always in the back of my mind.
Obviously I was skeptical of this recipe because of my strange belief.
I did not care for the bread crumbs in the bottom of the dish. There really didn’t seem to be a reason for them.
And they got super soggy during the cooking. I was careful to not scoop them up when I was serving the fish.
The sauce was a nice tomato sauce. But a chunky sauce, not a purée like pasta sauce.
I used Sole for the fish. A few months ago I had sent my husband to the fish market to purchase three or four fillets for dinner. He came home with two packs of sole! Sole is a very thin fish, so there were probably 30 fillets in between the two packs.
I used one of the packs that night and put the other in the freezer. I hate doing that to fresh fish - I generally do not care for frozen fish. Thankfully we live by the water, so the sole had been caught that morning. I think that helped it not taste fishy when defrosted.
I also am very careful defrosting fish. I place it in a sink filled with cold water. That way it can defrost slowly and never warms to room temperature.
I have to admit that I actually really enjoyed this dish. I didn’t think I would. There is not a huge amount of cheese, so it isn’t overpowering.
Somehow it worked!
BAKED FISH AU GRATIN
1 Pound Fish Fillets
2 Tablespoons Fine Cracker Crumbs
1 Cup Canned Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Chopped Onion
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Cut Fine
Grease a 1 quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle cracker crumbs into dish. Lay fillets on crumbs. Combine tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Pour over fillets. Dot with butter and cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
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