The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (47 page)

If you can get fresh flounder, it is wonderful! I am often forced to buy it frozen. Some of the better known species of flounder are dab, English sole, and plaice. In the United States, if you see something labeled “fresh fillet of sole,” you know it is probably flounder, because sole is only caught in Europe. Some sole is apparently shipped here frozen.

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2 pounds boneless flounder fillets

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup heavy cream or undiluted evaporated skim milk

2 tablespoons dry sherry

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cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Paprika for garnish

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. Arrange the fish fillets in a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Brush with the melted butter.
   
3. Bake for 15 minutes and lower the oven temperature to 300°F.
   
4. In a small bowl, mix the cream and sherry, and pour over the fish. Sprinkle with the cheese and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and paprika.
   

You will always find Jansson’s Temptation on a smorgasbord in Sweden, and it is often served as a luncheon dish or midnight snack. Its popularity has spread to Finland and Norway as well. To get the right flavor in this dish, you must use Swedish anchovies, which are cured in a slightly sweet brine and are therefore not as salty as Spanish anchovies. You can find them in Scandinavian specialty food stores and even in some IKEA stores in jars and flat tins. Buy the fillets rather than the whole little fish, or you’ll have to clean and fillet them yourself. If you cannot find Swedish anchovies, substitute a package of lightly smoked salmon or lox, but of course, the flavor will not be the same.

There are many theories about the identity of the Jansson who inspired the dish. Some say he was Erik Jansson, an eighteenth-century religious zealot, while others guess it was Pelle Janzon, an early-twentieth-century Swedish opera singer. In any case, this is a popular and very delicious Swedish casserole.

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1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus extra for the dish

6 medium thin-skinned potatoes

2 large onions

1 tin (4
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ounces) Swedish anchovies (14 to 16 fillets)

1 to 1
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cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter a shallow 2-quart casserole.
   
2. Peel and rinse the potatoes and cut into matchsticks
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   inch or less. Peel the onions and trim off the ends. Cut the onions in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, cut each half lengthwise into
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   -inch matchsticks.
   
3. Spread out the onions and anchovies in the prepared dish. Cover with the potatoes. Add just enough cream to cover the potatoes. Mix together the breadcrumbs and the 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small dish, then sprinkle over the potato layer.
   
4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top of the casserole is browned.
   

When I first made this several years ago, my sister, Nancy, asked for the recipe. It has since become one of her family’s favorites. Nancy usually freezes half for days when there isn’t time to cook. Although it contains only 1 pound of lobster meat, the lobster flavor permeates the whole dish, which serves at least 6 people.

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1 pound fresh lobster meat or frozen lobster meat, thawed

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pound elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1
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cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

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package (4 ounces) cream cheese

2 cups heavy cream or milk

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

Salt

Pepper

¹
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cup
panko
or fine dry breadcrumbs

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray. Chop the lobster meat and set aside.
   
2. Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
   
3. In a medium skillet, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil. Combine the Cheddar cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the Gruyère, and cream cheese in a metal bowl. Place the bowl over the water, but not touching it, and melt the cheeses, stirring. Gradually stir
   in the cream. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
   
4. Pour out the boiling water and melt the butter in the skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook the garlic and shallots for 2 minutes; add the lobster meat and cook until opaque. Remove from the heat.
   
5. Pour the reserved cooking water over the macaroni to loosen it, and drain. Add the macaroni to the lobster mixture. Add the cheese sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Turn into the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining
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   cup Parmesan cheese and the breadcrumbs. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day or wrapped well and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.)
   
6. Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
   

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NOTE:
Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs. They are coarser than conventional breadcrumbs and yield a crunchier crust. Panko can be purchased in Asian markets, or in the Asian sections of large supermarkets.

In Norway, a cook’s reputation is determined by the smoothness of the fish pudding she or he prepares. This makes a tasty luncheon or supper dish, especially when served with a cucumber salad. If you prefer, serve this with
hollandaise sauce
or melted butter rather than the dill sauce.

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6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, heated

2 teaspoons salt

Pepper

1
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pounds boneless fish, such as halibut, snapper, or flounder, cut into 2-inch cubes

6 large eggs, separated

FOR THE DILL SAUCE (OPTIONAL):

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 1
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   -quart casserole or soufflé dish. Have at hand a larger pan in which the dish can be set. Heat a few cups of water to boiling.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat and add the flour; stir until blended, and gradually whisk in the milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thickened. Add the salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.
   
3. Put half the sauce and the fish into a food processor with the steel blade in place and process until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add the remaining sauce from the saucepan.
   
4. Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until thick and add to the fish mixture. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff and fold into the fish mixture.
   
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole. Set into the larger pan and add 1 inch of boiling water. Bake for 1 hour, or until set and lightly browned.
   
6. Meanwhile, make the dill sauce, if desired: Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl.
   
7. Serve the casserole with the dill sauce or with
   hollandaise sauce
   or melted butter.
   

This is a fresh, updated version of tuna-noodle casserole, a 1950s classic. It sparkles with the flavor of herbs, mushrooms, fresh tuna, and a dash of sherry.

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5 tablespoons butter, divided

1 pound tuna steaks, sliced on the diagonal

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 pound mushrooms, such as shiitake, button, or portobello, sliced (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1
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teaspoons dried

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

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cup dry sherry

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cup all-purpose flour

2 cups clam juice or chicken broth

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups egg noodles, cooked in boiling salted water

1
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cups
fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the tuna steaks and sauté quickly for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the tuna from the pan and set aside. Put the onion into the pan and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is wilted. Add the mushrooms and herbs and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Cook for 2 minutes longer and set aside.
   
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the flour; stir until blended. Whisk in the clam juice, milk, and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir the sauce into the mushroom mixture and add the tuna. Stir in the noodles and transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.
   
4. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and mix in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the noodle mixture and top with the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is browned.
   

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NOTE:
To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear 1 or 2 slices of fresh bread into pieces and put in a food processor with the steel blade in place. Process with on/off pulses until the bread is broken down into crumbs.

Green olives perk up the taste of canned salmon, making this a very flavorful casserole you can even serve to company.

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6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

2 tablespoons chopped green onions (white and green parts)

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cup all-purpose flour

Pepper

1 can (14
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ounces) red or pink salmon

Light cream or half-and-half, as needed

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cup stuff ed green olives, sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried

Salt (optional)

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

3 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a shallow 1
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   -quart casserole.
   
2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and sauté the green onions over medium heat until wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and pepper to taste until evenly blended.
   
3. Drain the juices from the salmon into a 2-cup measure and add enough cream to measure 2 cups. Whisk the liquid into the green onion mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened and smooth and remove from the heat. Add the olives and dill. Taste and add salt if desired.
   
4. Remove the skin and bones from the salmon and break the salmon into large chunks. Put in the bottom of the prepared casserole. Pour the sauce over the salmon.
   
5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Stir in the almonds and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top of the casserole.
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through and lightly browned.
   

Canned salmon is not only a good source of calcium, but also a flavorful convenience food. Goat cheese gives this casserole a contemporary spin. Serve it with mango salsa and a romaine salad.

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1 can (14
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ounces) pink or red salmon, drained, juices reserved

2
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pounds medium russet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cut into 1-inch slices