Saturday, April 5, 2008

Cod cannelloni

Fish and creamy cheese in soft pasta with a rich saffron sauce.

This dish became an instant favourite. It is easy to make, and it tastes rich and delicious.

(2 portions)

4 lasagna sheets

1 tablespoons butter

150 g (1/3 pound) cod or other white fish fillets

salt

freshly ground pepper

juice from 1/2 lemon

150 g (1/2 cup) ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

freshly ground nutmed

Saffron sauce

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

small pinch of saffron

150 ml (1/2 cup) single cream

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F

To make the filling, melt the butter in a pan and cook the fish on 3-4 minutes on each side. Season with pepper and lemon juice.

Transfer fish to a bowl, leaving the juices and butter in the pan.

Add ricotta cheese, parsley, chives and egg to the bowl. Add nutmeg and salt to taste.

Blanche lasagna plates in hot water.

Take out, let them drain in a colander and add a little oil to them so they don't stick together.

Put some filling down the centre of each pasta sheet. Roll into a tube. Arrange the cannelloni in a greased ovenproof dish.

To make the sauce, heat the remaining juices and butter in the pan. Add more butter if necessary. Fry the shallot and garlic for 3-4 minutes, but be careful so it doesn't burn.

Add saffron and cook for one minute. Pour in the cream, bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

Pour the sauce over the cannelloni and cover with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until heated through.

2 comments:

Kitty said...

another fish dish! :-)

you don't often find fish and cheese dishes, unless it's something horrible for you. Am I right to say ricotta isn't so high in fat? It doesn't taste fatty.

Eva said...

Hi kitty,

Yeah, another fish dish, and I'll keep them coming :-)

Ricotta is naturally low in fat. Between 4 and 10 percent. It is also low in salt, so it is one of the "good" cheeses.

I think this is one of the few recipes I've got that mix fish and cheese with a great result. The fish and cheese brings out the best in each other. It's like a good marriage! :-)