This is one of the recipes that turned out much, much better than expected. It is also an easy and affordable way to get more fish in your diet. Very easy to cook, full of veggies, a comforting gravy bringing everything together, crispy herbs and topped with melted cheese, this truly is a wonderful, dieting friendly dish. Give it a try!
This recipe is an excellent way to make use of frozen fish, which I find rather unappealing and difficult to make really tasty, which is sad as it is a valuable addition to any diet (yes, you should eat more fish). The way the frozen fish is treated here makes it easy to use and is surprisingly time efficient. And not to mention, really, really tasty.
Ingredients
- 800g cod filet or other white fish (I used frozen)
- 260g fennel (about half a fennel bulb)
- 500g leeks
- 200g creme fraîche (15% fat)
- 800g white beans in brine
- 35g cheese (parmesan or any other hard cheese)
- 30g olive oil
- 150g fresh shiitake mushrooms
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tsp English mustard
- a small handful of fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- If using frozen fish, make sure you thaw it properly. It doesn’t need to be completely thawed, but it shouldn’t be a block of ice. Otherwise prepare your fish.
- Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pan or casserole. Fry the sage leaves, taking care not to burn them. Set the leaves aside.
- Meanwhile wash the leeks (they are always dirty) and cut in 1cm fingers. Prepare the fennel and cut in half centimeter cubes or slices. Tear the larger shiitake mushrooms in half and fry them for a few minutes until the soften up. Let the fennel soften up in the hot, fragrant olive oil.
- Add the leeks, finely chopped garlic and stop the frying process with a little bit of water and/or white wine, soy sauce or mirin. The leeks just need to soften up, don’t fry them or they will turn unpleasantly “paper-like”.
- Add the mustard, white beans (including brine) and creme fraîche. Season with salt, pepper and bring to a gentle boil. Add the crispy sage leaves and gently push in the fish filets. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and give it 5-10 minutes under the preheated oven grill until the cheese melts. Be careful not to overcook the fish while doing so!
Macros
100g of this fish casserole have the following macros:
- 77kcal
- 7,6g protein
- 3,8g carbs
- 3,1g fat
You can easily change this recipe up a little to suit your demands. Swapping the fennel for other veggies like carrots works nicely. The white fish can be exchanged for prawns or even turkey or chicken, in which case make sure you properly cook through the poultry as it needs more time than fish. Any herbs work well in this dish, feel free to use whatever is at hand. Have fun with this very flexible recipe!
Beary Strong 