Pollock fillet with cheese in the oven

The classic recipe suggests using pollock, although you can use the same recipe with any other white fish, for example, hake.

So, we gut the carcass, remove the head, fins and tail. We wash the fish with running water and dry it with paper towels.

You can cook the whole fish, but it is better to cut it into portions in advance. In this case, it will look better when served, and the pieces will be well soaked with sauce. Cut the pollock into portions.

In a separate plate, mix salt and ground black pepper, rub with a mixture of spices each piece on each side. Immediately, without pre-frying, we put the fish in a baking dish and begin to prepare the sauce.

In a saucepan with a thick bottom or a small frying pan, melt the butter. It should not burn, but only melt, we control this process. Add flour to the oil and immediately stir well with a spatula to avoid the formation of lumps and burning.

It is advisable to preheat the milk in a microwave oven or on the stove to a warm state. Pour the milk in a thin stream into the mixture of butter and flour. Do not stop stirring with a spatula to make the sauce tender and homogeneous.

Add a small amount of salt to the sauce, stir and boil over low heat for 5-7 minutes until thickened.

Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, add half to the milk sauce and season with dry spices for fish and ground pepper. Stir the cheese in the sauce until it completely dissolves, then immediately turn off the heat.

Pour the bechamel sauce over the fish in a baking dish, sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top. Bake the fish in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees for 25 minutes. During this time, the fish will be fully cooked, the sauce will thicken, and the cheese will bake until golden brown. Serve hot with tomatoes and herbs.

Bon appetit!