Seer Fish au Gratin, Neopolitan Fashion

Ingredients

• 1 good cut (approximately 1–1.2 kg for 8 servings) Seer fish (A firm, white-fleshed fish. Spanish mackerel or king mackerel are good substitutes if seer fish is unavailable. Ask your fishmonger for a thick centre-cut section.)
• 200 grams Macaroni (Dried macaroni pasta. Use a standard elbow or short tube macaroni.)
• 4 medium, approximately 500 g total Ripe tomatoes (Choose the ripest, most flavourful tomatoes you can find. Roma or vine tomatoes work well.)
• 60 grams, finely grated Parmesan cheese (Traditionally sold as a bottled grated cheese in the colonial era. Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavour and melt.)
• 1 tin (approximately 400 g) Tinned black mushrooms (The original recipe specifies black Leicestershire mushrooms. Use a tin of whole or sliced dark mushrooms (such as chestnut or portobello). Drain off and discard the liquid from the tin — only the mushrooms are used.)
• 40 grams Butter (Used for greasing the pie dish and for melting to pour over the top before baking. Unsalted or salted both work.)
• 1 pinch per layer (to taste) Black pepper (Freshly ground black pepper is ideal. Use lightly — just a gentle dusting over each layer.)
• 1 pinch per layer (to taste) Salt (Fine table salt. Sprinkle lightly over each layer as you build the dish.)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7). The original recipe specifically notes the oven should be quite hot, so allow it to fully preheat before the dish goes in.
2. 2Divide the seer fish into slices roughly 2–3 cm thick. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil, then gently lower in the fish slices. Parboil — meaning only partially cook — for about 4–5 minutes. The fish should be just opaque on the outside but not fully cooked through, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, cut or divide the pieces into 8 individual portions — roughly one palm-sized piece per guest. Remove any visible bones at this stage.
3. 3Bring a separate large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the packet instructions, or until fully tender — this is one dish where al dente is not the goal; the pasta should be soft and cooked through. Drain thoroughly in a colander and set aside.
4. 4Wash the tomatoes and slice them into rounds approximately 5 mm thick. Set aside on a plate. You want nice, even slices so they layer neatly in the dish.
5. 5Open the tin of black mushrooms and tip the contents into a sieve or colander placed over the sink. Allow all the liquid to drain away completely — the recipe instructs to use the mushrooms only, not the gravy. Leave the mushrooms in the sieve for a minute or two to drain thoroughly, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
6. 6Take a wide, shallow pie dish — not too deep in the sides, as the original recipe specifies; a dish roughly 30 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm deep is ideal. Place a small knob of the butter (about half) into the dish and either place it briefly in the warming oven or rub the softened butter around with a piece of kitchen paper to coat the base and sides evenly. Melt the remaining butter gently in a small saucepan or microwave and set aside for pouring over the top later.
7. 7Spread the drained, cooked macaroni evenly across the bottom of the buttered pie dish to form the first layer. Sprinkle a light, even dusting of grated Parmesan cheese over the macaroni. Season this layer gently with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
8. 8Lay a layer of sliced tomatoes evenly over the macaroni. Season this layer gently with a pinch of salt and pepper. Now arrange the 8 individual portions of parboiled fish on top of the tomato layer, spacing them evenly around the dish so each guest will get one piece. Place a piece of mushroom between each fish portion. Then place a single slice of tomato in the centre of each fish portion, as the recipe directs. Season this layer once more with a gentle pinch of salt and pepper.
9. 9Give the entire surface of the dish a light, even dusting of grated Parmesan cheese — this is the final gratin topping. Then drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the dish. Place the dish in the fully preheated hot oven (220°C / 200°C fan) and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the Parmesan on top is golden and the dish is bubbling at the edges. Do not add any wine, stock, or extra liquid — the tomatoes provide all the moisture needed, as the original recipe notes.
10. 10Remove the dish from the oven using oven gloves and allow it to rest for 2–3 minutes before serving — this helps the layers settle and makes it easier to serve each portion cleanly. Serve directly from the pie dish at the table, ensuring each guest receives one portion of fish with its accompanying mushroom and tomato topping.