Baked Smoked Haddock Creams with Lemon-dressed Leaves

Baked Smoked Haddock Creams with Lemon-dressed Leaves

I first came across this recipe in 1992 when the Mail on Sunday was giving Delia Smiths recipes cards out each week.

It’s a tried and tested recipe, which I have cooked over and over again.

Delia recommends it’s as a starter but I think it great as a main course with a few new potatoes and instead of one I have two.

I’m serving mine with lettuce from the garden

Mixed Lettuce 

I have got salad potatoes but I wanted to leave them another week before pulling 

Salad potaoes need a little longer

 But they are great as a starter as well as you can cook them the day before and even make the dressing the day before.

You will need

8 oz (225 g) smoked haddock, preferably undyed

1 bay leaf

5 fl oz (150 ml) milk

5 fl oz (150 ml) double cream

3 large egg yolks

1 level tablespoon chopped chives

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper

For the lemon dressing:

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1  tablespoon wholegrain mustard

1 teaspoon  Sugar

black pepper

Remove the skin from the fish by making and place the fish in a saucepan with the bay leaf and some pepper, pour in the milk, bring it up to a simmer, then poach for 5 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the fish to a plate, separate it into smallish flakes and divide them equally among the six buttered ramekin dishes.

Add the cream, egg yolks, chives and a little grated nutmeg and whisk them together thoroughly, add the hot milk the fish was cooked in make sure you don’t add  the bay leaf, this can now be chucked  then pour the mixture over the fish in the ramekins.

Ensure the fish pieces are not sitting on the bottom so use a fork to lift up the fish pieces.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and cook on a high shelf (mark 3, 325°F (170°C) for 25 -30 minutes until they are set in the centre and the tops are golden brown.
So if you are making them in advance allow them to cool and place in the fridge

Then the next day place back in the oven (mark 3, 325°F (170°C) for 15 minutes

The take them out of the oven 10 minutes before serving 

allow to stand before serving to allow them to harden up

The dressing,
Place all the ingredients into a jar shake it well. Done (This dressing also goes with many different salads )

I serve them on a bed of salad and asparagus and new potatoes

To serve make a bed of salad and run the blade of a knife round the edges, tip each one out into the palm of your hand and turn it the right way up again on to a plate. And add the dressing

Warning very hot not the easier thing to do but it does make it look good  

A Main course

If serving as a starter just the one would do