Seafood Gratin
adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home
Sauce Ingredients
1 cup clam juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons good white wine. (I used a Sauvignon Blanc.)
3 Tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp saffron threads
8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and cu in half crosswise
8 ounces raw halibut, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 ounces raw scallops, cut into chunks
8 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Tbsp flour
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cups leeks, white and light green parts cut into half moons (about 2 large)
1 1/2 cups julienned carrots (about 3 carrots)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 Tbsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Place four gratin dishes on sheet pans.
Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and add the shrimp. After 3 minutes, remove the shrimp to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the halibut to the stock and cook for 3 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove to the same bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the cooked lobster to the bowl.
Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
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.
Divide the seafood among the 4 gratin dishes. Strew the vegetables on top of each dish. Pour the sauce equally over the seafood and vegetables and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.