Recipe by Eric Kim for the New York Times
The best part of a gratin is the crispy crust, and here in this shallow sheet-pan version, there’s more of it. Flaky panko bread crumbs — with a sprinkling of mozzarella and Gruyère — form a crisp, almost chip-like topping that tastes not unlike the edges of garlicky, cheesy Texas toast. In fact, the topping comes off in large, snackable pieces. As this bakes (for just 10 minutes!), the spice blend perfumes the kitchen, thanks to herbes de Provence.
The shiitakes add earthy heft and incredible umami, but for a more delicately flavored gratin, you can leave them out. Serve this with a big green salad or eat it straight out of the pan.
Serves 4
½ lb peeled, deveined shrimp, tails removed, shrimp cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, thinly sliced crosswise into coins
3 ½ oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, tough stems removed, caps thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp sweet paprika
¼ to ½ tesp red-pepper flakes
¾ tsp herbes de Provence
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
¼ cup finely grated Gruyère
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp, zucchini, mushrooms, shallot, garlic, paprika, red-pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 tablespoon oil until well combined. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan or shallow baking dish in a single layer.
In the now-empty bowl, toss the panko with a pinch of salt, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon herbes de Provence to combine. Evenly pour the cream over the shrimp mixture in the pan, covering all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the shrimp, then top first with the mozzarella, followed by the Gruyère.
Bake until the cream is bubbling and the panko and cheese are light golden brown all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with the fresh lemon wedges, which should be squeezed over the gratin just before serving.