Fiskgratäng med Räkor och Dill (Swedish Coastal Fish and Shrimp Gratin)

Fiskgratäng is a cornerstone of Swedish coastal home cooking, beloved along the entire Bohuslän and Skagerrak coastline where fishing communities have sustained themselves on white fish for centuries. This one-pot oven gratin layers tender white fish and sweet Nordic shrimp in a dill-cream sauce beneath a golden breadcrumb crust. It is Sunday comfort food at its most elemental.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 600g (1 lb 5 oz) firm white fish fillets (cod, haddock, or pollack)
• 200g (7 oz) cooked and peeled Nordic shrimp (räkor)
• 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 40g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
• 40g (⅓ cup) plain flour
• 1 small onion, very finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Large bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15ml) Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Juice of ½ lemon

Topping:

• 80g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs
• 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or aged Prästost

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Butter a deep 25cm (10 inch) baking dish.
2. Pour milk over the fish fillets in a saucepan. Poach gently over low heat 5-7 minutes until just cooked through and opaque. Remove fish and reserve the poaching milk.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 4-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warm reserved milk, about 400ml (1⅔ cups). Simmer 5-7 minutes until thick and smooth. Season with salt, white pepper, mustard, and lemon juice. Stir in half the dill.
4. Break poached fish into large chunks. Scatter fish and shrimp in the buttered baking dish. Pour the dill cream sauce over evenly.
5. Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter and cheese. Scatter over the top.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes until the top is deeply golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
7. Scatter remaining fresh dill over the top and serve directly from the dish with boiled new potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Cook's Notes: Nordic shrimp (räkor) are small, sweet, and cold-water — they are not interchangeable with warm-water prawns, which are firmer and less sweet. Add shrimp raw if available; add cooked shrimp only in step 4 to prevent overcooking. This dish reheats well the next day.