Bread Gratin with Sea Bass

Ingredients

• 300 g zucchini
• 500 g sea bass fillet (ready to cook, skin removed)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt
• white pepper (freshly ground)
• 200 ml milk
• 100 ml heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley
• butter (for the ramekins)
• 250 g dumpling bread
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp grated Edam cheese
• 1 tsp butter (in small pieces)
• 100 g Sour cream
• 120 ml heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp mixed chopped herbs (e.g. dill, parsley, tarragon, chervil)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and peel the zucchini, then slice into half-moons. Wash the fish, pat dry, cut into strips, and season with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Whisk together milk, cream, and eggs; season with salt, tarragon, parsley, and pepper.

2. 2.

   Butter two ramekins (about 15 cm diameter) and line them with overlapping zucchini slices. Cover the rim with more zucchini. Place a layer of dumpling bread on top, drizzle with some egg‑milk mixture, lay the fish over it, cover with another layer of bread, and drizzle the remaining egg‑milk over the top. Mix breadcrumbs and Edam cheese; sprinkle over the gratin, add butter pieces, and bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes until golden brown.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile whisk sour cream with heavy cream, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper. Remove the finished gratins from the oven, pour the herb‑cream over them, let rest briefly, then serve.