Firm white fish pairs deliciously with shrimp when baked in a creamy cheese casserole.  Seafood cheese bake is a favorite Irish recipe, and here’s my version of this traditional dish.

When my mom cooked a seafood bake she liked to use cod and was not a big fan of shrimp or prawns as they are called in Ireland.

I grew up just five miles from Howth, Dublin’s favorite place to buy fresh fish. With freshly caught fish available practically on our doorstep, it’s no surprise we ate fish at least once a week.

Every Friday during Lent fish was definitely on our menu, and I continue this tradition to this very day. I cooked this fish casserole for dinner yesterday, so why not share it with you today.

This recipe is inspired by mother’s cheesy cod dinners from years gone by.  But as usual, I’ve tweaked her traditional cheesy cod casserole to add my own little twists and flavors.

I like to use a combination of firm white fish like cod, haddock or monkfish.  My mother was very faithful to good old cod.

Sometimes I use uncooked fresh shrimp, but on occasion when I have a packet of frozen cooked shrimp I just add them to this bake half way through cooking.  Anyway, here’s my recipe for Cheesy Seafood Bake……

Ingredients:

• 2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 onion (peeled and sliced)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 parsley stalks
• 3 oz butter
• 3 oz of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 oz grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 lb of monkfish fillets (skin, membrane and bones removed and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1/2 lb cod fillets (skin and bones removed and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 4 oz peeled cooked shrimp
• 4 green onions (finely chopped)
• 4 oz sliced button mushrooms
• salt and pepper to season

Directions:

I like to infuse the milk with aromatic flavors before using it to make a creamy cheese sauce.

This is simple to do.

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the sliced onion, bay leaves and parsley stalks. Bring to a boil then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

Onion flavor slowly infuses the milk as it stands.

When you’re ready to make the cheese sauce, strain the milk and discard the leftover onion and herbs.

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F, and grease a 2-quart casserole dish or a 13 x 9 baking dish with butter.

Next step is the cheese sauce.

Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the flour and stir it constantly to form a roux. Cook this paste over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the strained milk, blending completely to create a smooth sauce.

Bring to a boil stirring constantly to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat and cook for an additional minute.

Add two-thirds of the grated cheese, and lemon juice.  Stir to melt the cheese.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It’s fine to taste and season the sauce at this stage since no raw fish has been added.

Add the monkfish and cook for a minute stirring to completely coat in sauce.

You can use all cod if you like. I like the chunky texture of monkfish in this casserole. You’ll need 1 and 1/2 pounds of white fish altogether. The ratio of cod to monkfish is up to you.

Just a little advice though. Monkfish contains more water than cod, so the sauce will be a little thinner after baking than if you use cod only.

Next toss in the cubed cod, thinly sliced mushrooms, and green onions.

I only use the lower half of each green onion stalk.  I prefer the flavor of the lighter colored portion of the leaves.

Transfer the mixture to the pre-greased casserole dish.

If you prefer, you can use four gratin dishes to bake individual portions. For this baking method place the gratin dishes on two baking trays since the sauce may ooze over the edge of the dishes as it bubbles and cooks in the oven.

Bake the casserole in a 350° F oven. Total cooking time is about 35 to 40 minutes.

After 15 minutes of baking add the shrimp to the casserole. Spread them evenly throughout the bake.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

If you cook this seafood bake in individual gratin dishes, the cooking time may only be 30 minutes.

This cheesy bake will turn a lovely golden brown in the oven.

Irish brown bread is perfect alongside this cheesy seafood bake.

A nice, crispy salad is also delicious and refreshing served with this luscious, cheesy fish casserole.

And so there you have it – a perfect Irish fish dish for Fridays during Lent, or any Friday in the year, or in fact, for any day of the year.

Here’s the printable recipe:

Cheesy Seafood Bake

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Serves	4-6
Prep time	25 minutes
Cook time	35 minutes
Total time	1 hour
Allergy	Fish
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
Region	Irish

Cod, monkfish and shrimp are combined with mushrooms and green onions, then smothered in a creamy cheese sauce before baking.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1 onion (peeled and quartered)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 parsley stalks
• 1lb monkfish fillets (cut in 1 inch cubes)
• 1/2lb cod fillet (cut in 1 inch cubes)
• 4oz cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3oz butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon (lemon juice)
• 6oz grated white cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions (thinly sliced)
• 4oz sliced button mushrooms
• salt and pepper to season

Directions

Step 1	Pour the milk into a large saucepan and add the onion, bay leaves and parsley stalks. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let the milk stand to infuse with flavor.
Step 2	When cooled strain the milk through a sieve and discard the onion and herbs.
Step 3	Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 2-quart casserole or a 13 X 9 baking dish with butter.
Step 4	Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the flour and stir to blend forming a roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes stirring constantly.
Step 5	Gradually blend in the strained milk, stirring constantly to create a smooth sauce. Bring to simmering point then reduce the heat and cook gently for 1 minute stirring as the sauce thickens.
Step 6	Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and two-thirds of the grated cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese melts and blends completely.
Step 7	Add the monkfish to the sauce and stir while cooking for 1 minute. Add the cod, green onions, and mushrooms and blend completely covering all of the ingredients in cheese sauce.
Step 8	Transfer the mixture to the buttered casserole dish. Bake in a 350° F oven.
Step 9	After 15 minutes add the shrimp evenly to the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Step 10	Bake for a further 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Step 11	Serve with a crispy side salad and Irish brown bread.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom