LAST BITE Icelandic fish gratin

Good Food reader Terrie Hillier shares her recipe for fish gratin, which she learned to make during her years living in Iceland

Fish gratin with vegetables & prawns (Gratíneraður fiskur með graenmeti og raekjum)

I lived in Reykjavík, Iceland between 1985 and 1996. After owning and running a coffee shop there, I worked as a translator and interpreter. I brought quite a few Icelandic recipes home to the UK, like this comforting fish gratin. We have this at weekends, eaten out in the garden with a fresh salad during the summer.

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins

COOK 20 25 mins MORE EFFORT

softened butter, for the dish 150g long-grain rice

100g carrots, cut into 1cm cubes (or

use canned or frozen carrots) 100g leeks, sliced into

1/2cm-thick rounds

400g white skinless ish illets

(haddock or seabass work well) 150g cooked prawns

2 eggs, separated

75g mayonnaise

75g crème fraîche

150g cheddar, grated

1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and butter an ovenproof baking dish (ours was 4cm deep). Cook the rice in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 12 mins until tender, then drain and tip into the base of the prepared dish.

2 Cook the carrots in a pan of boiling water for 10-12 mins until just tender, or tip into a heatproof bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 2-3 mins. (If you’re using canned or frozen carrots, you can skip this.) Mix the carrots with the leeks and spoon this over the rice, spreading it out to cover.

To prepare the fish, remove the skin and any pin bones, then cut it into pieces. Arrange the fish over the vegetables, then scatter over the prawns.

4 Mix the egg yolks, mayo, crème fraîche and cheese together, and season.

5 Tip the egg whites into a clean bowl and beat with an electric whisk to sti‹ peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mayonnaise mixture, then spoon this over the layer of fish and prawns in the dish. Spread it out with a spatula or the back of the spoon so it completely covers the fish. Bake for

20-25 mins, or until the topping is lightly golden brown. Leave to stand for a few minutes, then serve straight from the dish.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium PER SERVING 635 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 15g • carbs 33g • sugars 3g • ibre 2g • protein 39g • salt 2.2g