This Keto Cod Au Gratin is a low carb, gluten free version of a traditional Newfoundland dish. All of the flavour, a fraction of the carbs!
It’s a great recipe - a faithful gluten free version of a fairly traditional recipe - but it’s definitely not low carb. Corn starch, potato chips - yeah.
It was always a favourite recipe of mine, inspired by my time living in that beautiful province.
I first had it in a little diner on Water st in St John’s, and eventually came up with my own recipe. Good thing I did - it’s not a meal that you tend to see outside of the maritime provinces.
Mine was a bit different, involving a cheese sauce - rather than a white sauce - before being topped and baked.
It’s an easy-yet-fancy dinner - FEELS worthy of a special occasion, but whips together really quickly.
I’ve been working on adapting my recipe to be suitable for my keto diet for a while - it took a few attempts to get the sauce to be the right consistency, both before and after baking.
Enjoying a cheesy bite of cod for the first time in *forever* felt amazing, lemme tell you!
Nutritional Information
So you may notice a little bit of weirdness as far as the nutrition goes - The recipe makes 6 servings, but the photos show 4 ramekins.
... we only have 4 of the type of ramekin I wanted to photograph the recipe in, so I did it up as 4 large servings that day.
Neither one of us was able to finish one of those large servings, despite how much we love the recipe, and how long it had been! It’s a shockingly filling recipe.
So we ate ⅔ of a ramekin each, and saved the rest as a third portion, and we’ll be doing the same for the remaining two ramekins.
Whichever way you do it though - even those huge servings were very, very keto friendly!
As written - 6 servings - The recipe comes in at 5 grams total carbs, 2 grams fiber - so only 3 g net carbs per serving!
Not bad for 488 calories, and packing a whopping 39 g protein in there!
Doing it as 4 giant servings? Each of those values will be 50% higher. 7.5 g total carbs, 3 grams fiber, 4.5 grams net carbs.
Ingredients
Generally speaking, I like to use fresh cod loins when I can get them, but cod fillets work as well.
I just prefer the nice big chunks of cod that I get from the loins, over the thinner pieces that come from fish fillets.
You can use fresh cod or frozen, but frozen cod fish needs to be handled a bit differently:
If using frozen fish, partially thaw it, cut it, then allow it to fully thaw and DRAIN before putting it in the baking pan.
I’ll even blot the pieces with paper towel, for good measure.
No cod? No problem - you can make this recipe with your favourite white fish - just be sure it’s boneless!
Frozen cod is easier to cut when it's still partially frozen.
Dry White Wine
I use dry white wine to elevate the flavour of the dish - the actual alcohol cooks off as it simmers.
That said, you can skip it if you like - just use some chicken broth in place of it.
I also recommend adding a small amount of lemon juice or some lemon zest to brighten up the taste a bit, if not using the white. Just a really small amount - a teaspoon or two of either will do the trick!
Pork Rind Crumbs
Traditional cod au gratin tops the dish with bread crumbs, my gluten free version uses potato chips... and this low carb cod au gratin uses pork rind crumbs.
You can buy premade Pork Rind Crumbs, I just find them really expensive for what they are.
I make them at home: just run some Pork Rinds through a food processor until they’re the right texture.
... just don’t process them down too far, or you’ll end up with a paste!
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Cheddar Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Heavy Cream
Unsalted Butter (Or Olive Oil)
Onion
Garlic Cloves
Dijon Mustard
Dried Summer Savory
Xanthan Gum
Salt & Ground Black Pepper
... I just don’t really have anything to add, for these last few ingredients!
How to Make Keto Cod Au Gratin
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the visual walk through with step-by-step photos.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
Cut cod into 1" pieces, arrange in a single layer in an 8x8" baking dish.
Alternately, you can divide them between 4-6 individual ramekins. Set aside.
Add Dijon mustard, whisking until well incorporated.
Add almond milk and heavy cream, once again whisking to combine.
Sprinkle xanthan gum over the cheese, gently tossing to distribute it over the cheese shreds. This will prevent clumping.
Add cheese mixture to the pan, stirring until thick, melted, and smooth.
Add summer savoury, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour sauce over fish, stirring to coat and distribute evenly.
Spread pork rind crumbs on top.
Bake in the 350 F oven – uncovered- for about 35 (individual ramekins) - 50 minutes (8x8 pan), or until fish flakes easily, sauce is bubbly, and the melted cheese and topping is golden brown.
Leftovers
Once cooled to room temperature, leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap - or transferred to an airtight container - and stored in the fridge.
Reheat and eat within 3 days.
More Low Carb Fish & Seafood Recipes
Looking for more low carb or keto fish recipes? I’ve got you covered!
Ahi Tuna Crudo
Keto Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl
Low Carb Keto Chirashi Bowl
Tuna Poke Bowl
Crunchy Keto Coconut Shrimp
Salmon Crudo
Keto Crab Cakes
Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Keto Clam Chowder
Low Carb Shrimp Curry
Keto Paella
Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Keto Fish Cakes & Tartar Sauce
Keto Jambalaya
Pesto Shrimp Palmini
Low Carb Spinach Feta Salmon Pinwheels
Keto Sushi
Seared Scallops with Dijon Wine Sauce
Baked Sesame Ginger Salmon [Keto]
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you post it to Bluesky, be sure to tag us - @CelebrationGen. We're also on Pinterest, so you can save all your favourite recipes to a board!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment! (Sharing the post on social media is always appreciated, too!)
Keto Cod Au Gratin [Newfoundland style, gluten-free]
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Fresh Boneless Cod Loins*
- ¼ cup Butter
- ½ Small Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine or chicken broth
- 1 ¼ Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided
- ⅔ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese divided
- 2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- 2 teaspoon Dried Summer Savoury
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Pork Rind Crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Cut cod into 1" pieces, arrange in an 8x8" baking pan. Alternately, you can divide them between 4-6 individual ramekins. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium or medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and cook - stirring frequently - until onions are tender and translucent.
- Add Dijon, whisking until well incorporated.
- Carefully add wine to pot, whisking until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Add almond milk and heavy cream, once again whisking to combine.
- Measure ¼ cup of the shredded cheddar and ⅓ cup of the Parmesan into a small bowl. Sprinkle xanthan gum over the cheese, gently tossing to distribute it over the cheese shreds. This will prevent clumping.
- Add cheese mixture to the pan, stirring until thick, melted, and smooth.
- Add summer savoury, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over fish, stirring to coat and distribute evenly.
- Scatter remaining cheddar cheese across the top of the fish mixture, then remaining Parmesan.
- Spread pork rind crumbs on top
- Bake – uncovered- for about 35 (individual ramekins) - 50 minutes (8x8 pan), or until fish is cooked through, and sauce is bubbly.
- Serve hot.
- Once cooled to room temperature, leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap - or transferred to an airtight container - and stored in the fridge.Reheat and eat within 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
I am so excited to try your recipe but I am wondering if I could use unsweetened soy milk in place of the almond milk, That is the only thing I need to change to make this if you think it would work, I so appreciate your recipe
If you like the taste of it, yes!