Cod au Gratin. One of our most popular recipes in ten years online. This version is easy to prepare and gets rave reviews every time.
The Best Cod au Gratin
Some will flinch at the suggestion of fish and cheese together but this Cod au Gratin is one of the most requested recipes I’ve had on Rock Recipes and a dish that has been made here in Newfoundland for a long time. I think the mild neutral flavor of cod actually lends itself well to being paired with cheese.
As long as the cheese flavor is not too strong, you can substitute many mild cheeses like mozzarella or even gruyere to make your own favourite version of this recipe.
By request for a reader who is feeling a little homesick this week. This is a pretty basic recipe but still has plenty of flavour. Hope you enjoy!
Cod au Gratin
2017 Update: This recipe has proven to be one of the most popular of the past 10 years on Rock Recipes. I cannot count the number of times that someone has mentioned it to me online and in person at book signings and other events. If you’re a cod fan, this is definitely a must-try recipe.
Cod au Gratin
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Cod au Gratin
This is a favourite thing for Spouse and I to serve when we have friends or family over for dinner. When it’s really casual we will cook and serve this in a covered casserole dish
If you liked this recipe then be sure to check out this other Newfoundland favourite, Fish Cakes!
Newfoundland Fish Cakes
- 3 pounds fresh cod fillets
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to season
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- 1 tsp summer savoury dill or tarragon make good substitutions
- 1 ½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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Scald the milk in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes until just under the boiling point.
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Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan add the butter and flour and cook together for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the scalded milk whisking constantly.
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Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the lemon zest, Dijon mustard, savoury and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Parmesan cheese just before pouring onto the fish.
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Arrange the fish in the bottom of a greased 9x9 inch baking dish or in individual gratin dishes. Pour the sauce over the fish. Top with the cheddar cheese.
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Mix the cracker crumbs with the olive oil and sprinkle over the cheese. (You can add a little extra savory to the crumbs if you like, about ½ tsp). Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees F until bubbling and the top has evenly browned. Individual gratin dishes should take about 25 -30 minutes, just check the center to see that the fish has fully cooked
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I make this dish at least once a week ever since I discovered this recipe last year. It is by far the very best Cod au gratin recipe EVER!!!!! Love it!!
I made this last night …. all family members declared it to be the best Cod Au Gratin recipe they’d ever eaten!!! I’ll be making it again VERY SOON, Barry!
This is a fabulous recipe. The mustard gives it some zip, and I will be making this again tonight. Love!
We’ve made this a number of times now and all agree this is an excellent Au Gratin! We’ve added mushrooms and peppers too.
I love cod au gratin and have been craving this. One question – can I make it and reheat it the next day without sacrificing too much when it comes to the sauce? I know flour based sauces can get gluey after cooling. Any feedback would be appreciated.
You can leave it and it will still be delicious the next day. I have frozen portions of mine and they are still awesome.
I agree with Nadine
I don’t recommend that Sarah. This will always be at it’s best when cooked and served fresh.
I usually boil the cod first. In this recipe it doesn’t say to boil fish first. Do you need to cook the cod or just add it in cold?
I never have. Boiling fish takes most of the flavour away.
Do you think the recipe would go well with haddock instead ?
Haddock will be fine as well.
Thank you for the reply. I have tried it before with cod and loved it. Will give it a try with haddock and see how it turns out.
Cheers
Just wondering if it would be ok to substitute the whole milk for evaporated milk in this recipe? This will be my first attempt at making this dish myself.
Sure as long as you reconstitute it with an equal amount of water to make the total amount needed.
No nononono
its just as good the next day.
This is one of my very favorite dishes … EVER
<3
Glad you like it. I just find the sauce creamiest when it’s first cooked.
I have often made an extra amount of this dish and frozen it , the results ? Just as good second time around.
Before baking it or after?
Hi I was wondering if I could add slice up onion to this dish
I don’t see why not. I’d use a mild onion though.
Would love to try this but cod is very expensive here in BC. We have lots of sockeye salmon now very reasonable,might try with the salmon.What do you think?
Hmmm…it’s worth a try to see if you like it. The only thing I’d worry about is strong cheese flavor with the salmon. Maybe the sauce should be more neutral. Maybe use mozzarella instead of cheddar and no parmesan (or just a little) I think I might add sweet onions if using salmon too. Hmmmm…might have to try that myself. 🙂
I chopped a small onion very finely and softened it in the butter before adding the flour and proceeding with the rest of the sauce, and I was pleased with the added flavour. I was also in a place where I didn’t have and couldn’t get Dijon mustard, so instead I put in 1 tsp. dry mustard with the flour, and it worked quite well.
Just got back to Edmonton from the Rock with a cooler full of cod.This is gonna be the first recipe I make.Love Cod every way and this recipe looks addictive.
I’m jealous of your cooler! Enjoy.
I just had a question. I live in the middle of nowhere and only do my shopping once every 2wks if I get to town that often so my question is can I or would the recipe be just as enjoyable if used frozen cod or haddock instead of fresh?
Yes, I have made it many times with frozen fish.
I bookmarked this recipe so that I could come back and make it AGAIN! The last time was a year or so ago now, but I haven’t forgotten that it’s hands down the best Cod Au Gratin recipe ever. 🙂 I am so looking forward to it. With the food Newfoundland fishery just closed recently, (the government allows Newfoundlanders to catch a limited number of Cod each day for a period of time that is usually in the neighbourhood of around two weeks that number being usually up to 5 fish per day, per person, in a single boat with a maximum of fifteen fish per boat trip, irregardless of the number of people in the boat on said outing!), and a freezer offering up fresh frozen cod to me, I’m salivating with baited breath in anticipation of tonights fare!! Thanks again for having posted this.
You’re very welcome Shawn. I recently reshot the photos for this recipe for my new cookbook that’s coming out in a few weeks. Hope you enjoy all that cod! Barry.
Not only is this good the day after, I often make & freeze it. This works well also.
Can I repeat Barry’s question here? People who freeze this dish, do you freeze before or after baking? I’m guessing before would be better — I’m always looking for recipes to double for the freezer — there’s six of us and quel chore to cook for six from scratch every night of the week…
Did you boil or steam the fish beforehand? In most recipes I have seen, it is boiled beforehand and then layered with the sauce in the casserole dish and bread crumbs on top. I have had this with 3 or 4 different kinds of fish in it. Delicious!
I used to do that but really you are boiling away flavor. Yes the fish does leach moisture but I’ve allowed for that in the thickness of the sauce. You can always add a little more flour to the recipe if you like a very thick sauce.
I lived in NL for many years before relocating to Ontario. NL cod is gorgeous. But, you know, fresh NL cod is hard to come by if one does not live in NL. I make a version of cod-au-gratin with other varieties of fish – haddock, sole, even Atlantic salmon. I usually poach the fish for just a few minutes in the milk, to which I may add a bit of onion, then make a cheese sauce with the strained milk. Works very well. I’m making an au gratin next weekend as I have visitors, but don’t know what fish I will make it with – depends on what is available when I do my shopping. What do you serve with it? I think french green beans go well, or even regular green beans, but what about a carb side dish. Do you think it would be too much to serve creamed potatoes.
Potatoes might be a bit much considering the creaminess of the dish but your choice.
Thanks for responding so quickly Barry. I had decided that potatoes would be a bit too much, and French green beans and fresh asparagus will be the side dishes. A fresh salad and crusty bread will be enough.
Wonder could I use coconut milk and not the whole milk??
Never tried that but let us know if you do. The flour is the thickening agent so theoretically it could work. Not so sure if the flavor works here though.
i boil my fish first is that a good idea?
I don’t. You are removing a lot of the flavour of the fish and risk that it will be too dry in the gratin. If you like the sauce a little on the thicker side, just add a tad more flour to the recipe when you use raw cod. I think it’s much better if you don’t cook it first.
I made this for supper tonight and it was delicious! The only change I made was I used dill instead of savoury, because I didn’t have any on hand. This is by far the best cod au gratin I have had and I’ve used different recipes and had it at several restaurants. Yummmmy!
Wow! That’s a nice compliment. Thanks. I’m sure your kitchen skills deserve most of the credit. It is a popular recipe and is included in my upcoming cookbook from Breakwater Publishing.
My husband and I made this dish last weekend and are doing so again this week. It was fabulous. I just had a question regarding the savoury. Is it added to the sauce or the cracker mixture? It is on the ingredient list but not in directions.
Glad you enjoyed it. There was a slight error there when I recently reformatted the recipe; corrected now. It can go in both if you like. This recipe is also included in my new cookbook from Breakwater Publishing coming in the next few weeks!
Barry, can this be made and frozen before cooking?
I’ve never done it but other have said they cooked it and froze it.
In regards to the baking of the dish….covered or uncovered in the oven? 🙂
I always do it uncovered.
Where I live Cod is $24.59 US a pound. When it goes “on sale” and is “only” $14.99 a pound I buy enough for 4 individual ramekins. I cook them through, dine on one that evening, and then freeze the remainder wrapped in plastic and then foil. They never last longer than a couple of weeks before being scarfed down so don’t know that maximum freeze time would be. I have reheated them from both frozen and thawed. Just keep checking the middle until it is hot through. Going to try this recipie next time cod is on sale.
Do you just place the fish on the bottom of the pan? Or do you cut first?
I do cut it into smaller pieces but it will work either way.
Not a fan of mustard, can I substitute it for something else ?
Nothing comes to mind that wouldn’t overpower the flavour. You can omit it though.
im not a mustard lover either but it adds a really great flavour. I typically add 1/2 of what the recipe calls for. It’s fine for our family 🙂
Never did my mother use lemon zest , Parmesan ,or mix olive oil with the cracker or bread crumbs when making cod au gratin!!!!
Not traditional to me and I am 59 yrs old.
Born and raised in nl
Calm down woman! LOL! It’s not your mother’s recipe, it’s mine. There’s more than one way to do anything…people love this recipe.
Yes!
Do you mix the cheeses with the milk when making the sauce or sprinkle it over the fish after the sauce covers the fish?
I sprinkle on layers.
I just made this for dinner tonight and it is delicious! I’ll be having leftovers tomorrow night.
Glad you enjoyed it. People do seem to love this recipe.
Think it could work with crab?
I think so but you may need to make less sauce if using less crab.
Hands down, this is THE BEST cod au gratin that I have ever made or eaten anywhere!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Excellent, so glad you liked it. People love this recipe, for sure.
My recipe is very similar…I sauté finely diced onion and celery in the butter..I’d us e1/2 cup of each with 3 lbs of fish…savoury is a must for me too! I love to cook and enjoy all your recipes Barry…keep them coming!
Amazing!!!! The flavour was amazing everyone raved about it. I will be making it again and again!!! Super recipe!!!
Hi I’ve just found this recipe and it sounds delicious so I’m really excited to try it, but I’m in the UK and I just wondered what the cracker crumbs are, is it just like a cream cracker. Thanks in advance 🙂
Crushed Cream Crackers will do nicely.
Thank you very much x 🙂
Hi , this will be my first time making this , just wondering is it savoury as the savoury you use in dressing ?
Indeed it is.
Hi I was wondering if I could use bread crumbs as a substitute for crackers? Going to try the recipe tomorrow 🙂
I usually dry breadcrumbs on a cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes before using them as a substitute for crackers. They don’t get as soggy that way.
Ok thanks for tip!
Made this last night and LOVED it. The lemon zest and Dijon add a little zip and lighten up the heavy creamy sauce. I substituted Monterrey jack cheese for the cheddar and added a pinch of cayenne for a little kick! Will definitely keep this recipe in my repertoire. Another hit from Rock Recipes 🙂
I also added a little grated onion into the butter and cooked it out a bit before adding the flour 🙂
I’ll be making your recipe for 8 people….dinner & bridge this Saturday.
How much cod should I purchase??
I have one cup ramikens …. Will they be big enough ?
I could use a large casserole dish.
We normally have our salad before our meal, what could I serve with the fish??
We are Mainlanders, but love our Newfoundland!!
Anxious to try your recipe!!
Allow about 6 ounces of fish per person. I like to serve it with side salad or steamed vegetables too. 1 cup ramekins are probably too small.
Opps. I’m out of dijon. Do you think grainy mustard would do?
Yes.
hi
if I’m using one and a half lbs of cod should i half he ingredients ?
Thank you
Yes.
We spent 2 months this summer in Newfoundland & dined on Cod au Gratin several times. I even bought some Newfoundland grown savory while we were there. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed your visit. Hope you enjoy this recipe too!
Could you make this recipe and refrigerate it before baking it?
Yes, that would be preferable to cooking and reheating for sure.
Best Cod Abu Gratin I’ve ever made Highly recommend it
I have celiac. Do you think it would taste as good with GF flour and without the cracker top?
Oh yes, that would be fine, I think. The flavour would still be great.
How would I go about doubling this recipe??
Is that a trick question?
Can you use aluminum pans instead of
Baking Dishes??
I suppose.
Hi I’m looking forward to trying this recipe , the one we have tried in England (GB) has leeks and carrots in and a bernaise sauce but no cheese. All other gratins I’ve eaten have included cheese?
All I have do.
The best! Followed recipe as is and it is awesome!
I’ve always put thinly sliced potatoes in my cod au gratin. Looking forward to serving this for guests this weekend!
I had cod au gratin in Newfoundland during our Screech dinner and it was delicious. Came back to BC and had to try it. I made your recipe and it was just as I expected. Will sure make it again!
Great to hear it was a success. It sure has been a popular recipe!
I must say that I have never had one of Barry’s recipes fail me..I also added a small minced onion…but didn’t change anything else.Superb!
I have tried this recipe and it’s wonderful…I made it gluten free using Gf flour and gf crumbs and it comes out wonderful….
Maggie
this was excellent!i added bacon and cauliflower as well and turned out fantastic!
can salt cod be used?
Some people use half salt cod.
Love love love this recipe. I made it for a dinner party last night and everyone totally enjoyed it. Thanks Barry for another great recipe to add to my collection. It’s easy to follow and delicious 😋. Glad I chose it to serve my guests.
Just made this the way some people make Coquilles St. Jacques, i.e. tucked potatoes mashed with cream and butter around the edges of the pan, ~ 1″ deep & wide. The pretty way would be to pipe the potaoes around, but I don’t do pretty. Just kinda rolled the potato in 1″ rolls and tucked around the sides. This also helped keep the sauce thick. I also substitute a little white wine for some of the milk.
Made this recipe for the first time tonight! It’s a keeper for sure! I used fresh Tilapia and added a touch of finely grated onion…ends up being mostly onion juice. Looking forward to the left overs! Thank you!