This saffron and red fish gratin with saucy herb potatoes is easy to prepare and bursting with flavour. It’s the perfect summer meal for anyone dreaming of holidays in Italy.
This dish take me back to summer on the Amalfi Coast. I can’t tell you why exactly. It could be the combination of oil, garlic, parsley, burst tomatoes and the Italian seasoning mix funghi trifolati.
Whatever it is, as soon as I took my first bite I felt like I was there again. Even Bogdan said eating this dish reminded him of vacation.
The flavours of cheese and saffron allude to Northern Italy and Risotto alla Milanese while the roast potatoes (sauced with burst tomatoes, marinated red pepper, and funghi trifolati traditional Piedmontese herb mix) introduce a complex flavour profile that ties it all together in one resounding word: Italy.
What you’ll need to make this dish
Saffron gratin fish
- 3-4 red fish or white fish filets
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of grated mozzarella per fish filet
- A pinch of saffron
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce per filet
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, mascarpone or cream cheese per filet
- A sprinkle of salt to taste
Saucy herb potatoes
- Around 650 grams / 1.5 lbs of potatoes
- 4 tablespoons of marinated roasted red pepper, diced
- About 20 cherry tomatoes or 3-4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon of Euroma funghi trifolati or other Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
White fish: I used red fish filet for this dish but it has a similar texture and flavour profile to white fish we typically eat like cod and haddock. Any white fish will do.
Grated cheese: I used Dutch cheese that’s very common here in the Netherlands. Any mild flavour cheese that melts well will do – for example mozzarella would be an excellent choice.
Saffron: Just a few threads go a long way. The taste of saffron adds a complex earthiness that can’t really be replicated with any other ingredient. If you don’t have saffron then no worries. But you may consider picking some up and experimenting with it a bit – it’s a great ingredient.
Tomato sauce or tomato paste: The tomato paste is combined with the cream/cream cheese and applied to the fish with the saffron and under the cheese for a bit of extra umami. You can use tomato sauce or tomato paste for this but the quantities will differ since tomato paste is much more concentrated. Either 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce or 1/2 teaspoon of tomato paste per tablespoon of heavy cream/cream cheese.
Heavy cream, mascarpone or cream cheese: The heavy cream/cream cheese mixed with the tomato sauce to create a luscious and flavourful coating for the fish.
Potatoes: I used a combination of yellow and red new potatoes with the skin on for this recipe. Don’t let this step deter you – any potatoes are fine! Just cut them up into bite sized cubes.
Tomatoes: About 20 cherry tomatoes. Again if you don’t have cherry tomatoes just dice up 3-4 medium sized tomatoes into small cubes.
Marinated roasted red pepper: The marinated roasted red pepper adds a pop of acidity to the roasted potatoes and burst tomatoes. Marinated roasted red pepper is a fridge staple in my kitchen. I always have it on hand, primarily to serve along with impromptu charcuterie snacks or meals, but as in this recipe it also makes a great addition to cooked foods.
Funghi trifolati (or other Italian herb mix): Out of curiosity I recently picked up a Euroma spice blend called funghi trifolati. I’ve since learned that funghi trifolati is a classic Italian flavour combination usually consisting of oil, garlic and parsley – sometimes with other herbs like sage or rosemary – combined with mushrooms.
This particular Euroma funghi trifolati spice blend has a combination of garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary, dried mushrooms, and dried tomatoes. If you live in Europe and can find this spice blend, I can’t recommend it more. It’s so tasty and such an easy way to add layers of complex flavour to your dishes. I’m all in on spice blends now.
If you can’t find this spice blend then no worries. Use your favourite Italian seasoning or otherwise a combination of fresh or dried garlic, fresh or dried parsley, black pepper, dried sage, dried rosemary, and onion powder if you have it. Bonus points for a bit of dried mushroom or sundried tomato!
Putting it all together
The process is simple. Preheat your oven to 190 C / 375 F and then prepare all your ingredients. Toss the potatoes with the diced marinated pepper, some olive oil, salt, and the funghi trifolati or Italian seasoning. First you’re going to roast the potatoes for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the tomatoes (also seasoned with some oil and funghi trifolati) and the fish. The fish gets a little drizzle of oil, some salt, and a pinch of saffron. Add the tomatoes to the potatoes and mix. Then lay the filets on top, spooning a bit of the tomato sauce/cream onto each filet and then topping with grated cheese.
Roast an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Saffron & Red Fish Gratin with Saucy Herb Potatoes
This saffron and red fish gratin with saucy herb potatoes is easy to prepare and bursting with flavour. It’s the perfect summer meal for anyone dreaming of holidays in Italy.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Saffron gratin fish
3–4 red fish or white fish filets
Drizzle of olive oil
2 tablespoons of grated mozzarella per fish filet
A pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon tomato sauce or 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste per filet
1 tablespoon heavy cream, mascarpone or cream cheese per filet
A sprinkle of salt to taste
Saucy herb potatoes
Around 650 grams / 1.5 lbs of potatoes
4 tablespoons of marinated roasted red pepper, diced
About 20 cherry tomatoes or 3–4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon of funghi trifolati or Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F.
Prepare the potatoes: Dice the potatoes and toss them with 1 tsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, diced marinated red pepper and half of the funghi trifolati or Italian seasoning.
Roast the potatoes: Put it all in an oven safe roasting pan in one layer and roast for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and starting to brown.
Prepare the tomatoes: In the meantime, toss the tomatoes with 1 tsp olive oil and the remaining funghi trifolati or Italian seasoning.
Prepare the fish: Drizzle the fish with a bit of olive oil and salt. Sprinkle on the saffron. Mix the tomato sauce and cream/cream cheese and spoon it onto each piece of fish and then top with grated cheese.
Put it all together: Add the tomatoes to the pan and mix them in with the potatoes. Lay the fish filets on top.
Roast: Put the roasting pan back in the oven and roast an additional 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browning.
Keywords: Italian, fish gratin, red fish, white fish, cheesy fish
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