For the backstory, most French people recall the dish being served to them as a kid in their school cantine. The Poisson à la Bordelaise was often frozen and re-heated, and not particularly the best version of this dish. In my school cantine, I remember the fish to be pretty bland with the crust being more soggy than crunchy. So after my school years, it’s no wonder why I almost completely forgot about this dish.

It isn’t until a few months ago that I decided to give this dish another try – but this time, homemade. I bought fresh and affordable Basa fillets and prepared the crumbly topping from scratch: with homemade breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, lemon juice and shallots cooked in white wine. What a difference! This dish was nothing like what I remembered it to be. The baked fish remained tender and juicy, while the coarse topping turned crunchy and had fresh and tangy flavors from the parsley, white wine and lemon.

Poisson à la Bordelaise is still today a staple in the frozen aisles of French grocery stores, but I will always opt for the homemade version from now on. This recipe is easy and quick to assemble – about 20 minutes at most. It makes a perfect lunch or dinner any day of the week, accompanied by green beans, rice or potatoes.

Cooking notes:

• This recipe can be made with any white fish of your liking. For the photos here, I used four Basa filets (about 200g each – 800g total). Cod, tilapia, hake are great choices too. Whether you use fresh or frozen (then thawed) filets, make sure you pat them dry well with paper towel. You want to remove any excess moisture, or the fish will render liquid later and you will have a puddle on the bottom of your baking dish.
• Take the fish out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking so they warm up to almost room temperature.
• For the breadcrumbs, I like to make my own so they are chunky, as crisp as possible and salt-free. As a substitute you can use store-brought panko breadcrumbs I would avoid using regular breadcrumbs. In comparison to regular breadcrumbs, panko are dryer and have a flakier, coarser consistency. As a result, they will absorb less moisture or oil and give a crunchier crust – which is what we want for Bordeaux-Style Fish.
• For the white wine, I recommend you choose one that is dry and crisp, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc.
• The white wine gets completely evaporated when cooking with the shallots, so no alcohol is left – just flavor. This recipe is perfectly suited for the whole family – kids included.
• The baking dish I used for these photos (4 fillets – 800g total) is 8”x11” and it was perfectly sized.

I hope you’ll love this Bordeaux-Style Fish Gratin (Poisson à la Bordelaise) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• • Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin
  • Pickled Herring and Potato Salad (Harengs Marinés Pommes à l’Huile)
  • Provencal Eggplant Tomato Gratin
  • Classic Tomatoes Farcies (Baked Ground Meat Stuffed Tomatoes) 
  • Classic French-Style Potato Salad

Bordeaux-Style Fish Gratin (Poisson à la Bordelaise)

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

4 white fish filets (about 800g total)
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
4 shallots or 1 large onion, peeled and diced finely
1 garlic clove, peeled and diced finely
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
50g (panko) breadcrumbs
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (about 10-12 sprigs)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Step 1 - Pre-heat your oven to 350F(180C) with a rack in the middle. Spread 1 tbsp (15ml) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the bottom of a baking dish; set aside.

Step 2 - In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced shallots (or onion) and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes until the shallot/onion is glistening. Add the white wine, and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated. Set aside.

Step 3 - In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, pepper and cooked onion and garlic. Mix until you get a crumbly texture, slightly moist.

Step 4 - Lay the fish filets in the baking dish and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Cover evenly with the breadcrumb topping and slightly press down with your fingers or the back of a spoon.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the fish is done and the topping is golden. Optional: finish off with 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler for extra crunch.

The post Bordeaux-Style Fish Gratin (Poisson à la Bordelaise) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Like most rustic French recipes, it plays the part of a no-fuss and frugal recipe. But in reality, it gifts you the sweetest-tasting, juiciest tomatoes all tucked under a blanket of crisp and fragrant breadcrumbs. It is effortless Summer cooking at its best!

This recipe is easy and fuss-free, with only tomatoes as the main ingredient. The key here is to not rush it: the tomatoes need to cook low and slow, so they turn tender, utterly sweet and caramelized. Naturally, this dish is often made, and even better, in the thick of Summer when tomatoes are at their ripest.

What pan should you use for this recipe?

I like to use a Cast-Iron Skillet for the making of this recipe for two reasons. First, the Cast-Iron Skillet can be used both on the stove-top and in the oven. The tomatoes are first cooked on the stove-top and then finished off in the oven, so using a skillet makes it easier and less messy. Secondly, using a Cast-Iron Skillet enhances the “confit” process and caramelization of the tomatoes. A cast-iron skillet is known for its heat-retention properties, so the tomatoes will “confit” better and get a nice caramelization all around.

If you do not own a cast-iron skillet, fear not. You can use a regular large pan on the stove-pot and then transfer the tomatoes to an oven-safe dish for the oven part.

How to make these Provence-Style Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Herbs.

The recipe begins with slicing the top “hat” of the tomatoes, and placing these tomatoes cut-side down in a skillet (or pan). You then sprinkle some sugar over top and let the tomatoes “confit” (cook slowly in their own juice) on low heat for 30 minutes. They should turn tender and render a lot of liquid.

Once tender, the tomatoes are then turned upside down (cut-side up) and topped with a mix of breadcrumbs, fresh curly parsley and dried Herbs de Provence. The tomatoes are then transferred to the oven, and cooked until utterly tender with a crisp and golden top.

My Cooking tips

• For the tomatoes, choose round, plump tomatoes which will stand up straight in the pan (ie. avoid narrow plum tomatoes). Choose them medium in size. Too small, they will turn mushy and too big, they won’t cook through. My preferred varieties are Romas and medium-size Heirlooms.
• For the breadcrumbs, I recommend you make your own. I like them coarse, with bits of bread still visible to provide extra crunch. You can see how to make homemade breadcrumbs here. Use any of your favorite stale bread (at least 2 days old). My favorite bread to make breadcrumbs is Pain de mie.
• Curly parsley is best, but you can substitute for flat-leaf parsley.
• Herbes de Provence is an essential ingredient in Provencal cooking, consisting of a blend of dried herbs: savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano. It adds a very distinctive taste to this tomato dish. You can find Herbs De Provence online, in spice shops, bulk stores, and sometimes in grocery stores in the spice aisle.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! It’s colorful, light, healthy-ish and so tasty – making  great use of the Summer tomato abundance.

These Provence-style tomatoes are a perfect side dish for a barbecue, to go alongside grilled meat and fish. They are great to feed a crowd, as you can double or triple the recipe easily. This also goes great with rice, or other cooked grains such as barley or quinoa. You can pair it with: lamb chops, Provence-style cod and serve along a French-style couscous salad.

You may also like 

• Summer Vegetable Tian Galette
• Frisée with Bacon & Egg (Salade Lyonnaise)
• Herby Sugar-glazed Spring Vegetable Jardiniere
• Kasha Green Bean Potato Salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pardonyourfrench on Instagram and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench

Provence-Style Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Herbs (Tomates à la Provençale)

Print Recipe

Serves: 4-6 people Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 15 voted )

Ingredients

8 tomatoes
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp (45ml) Extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp (25g) sugar
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
½ bunch curly parsley, stemmed and chopped finely
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/3 cup breadcrumbs, store-bought or homemade
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1 – Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut the “hat” (top part) off of each tomato, discard of the hats and season tomatoes inside with salt.

Step 2 – Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) of EVOO in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Place the tomatoes in the skillet (cut-side down) and sprinkle with the sugar. Cook for 35-30 minutes: the tomatoes will first render their juice and shrink in size, and the liquid at the bottom of the pan will slowly evaporate. Every 5-7 minutes, use a spoon to scoop some of the liquid and pour it on top of the tomatoes. Remove from the heat when about half of the liquid is evaporated and the tomatoes are tender, but not mushy yet.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle.

Step 3 – In a bowl, combine the chopped garlic cloves, chopped parsley, Herbs de Provence, breadcrumbs and black pepper.

Step 4 – Carefully flip the tomatoes (using a spatula or two large tablespoons) and top each of them with an equal amount of breadcrumb topping. Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of EVOO.

Step 5 – Place the skillet in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes, until all the liquid at the bottom of the skillet has evaporated and the topping is golden-brown. If needed, you can finish off the tomatoes with 1 minute under the broiler, to ensure the topping is crispy.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag @pardonyourfrench  and hashtag it #pardonyourfrench.  Bon Appétit! 

The post Provence-Style Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Herbs (Tomates à la Provençale) appeared first on Pardon Your French.