This recipe is suitable for a starter. If you want to do this as a main course, the quantities will serve 4 people if you make it in one dish instead of 8 ramekins.
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 large fillets Natural Smoked Haddock, weighing about 1½lbs
- 1 pint of milk
- 4oz butter
- 8oz sliced mushrooms
- 3oz breadcrumbs
- coarsely ground black pepper
Method
- Pour the milk into a saucepan. Cut each fillet of haddock in two and put in the saucepan. Bring to the boil without actually allowing to boil.
- Drain the haddock from the milk, retaining it to make your sauce.
- Make a white sauce by melting half the butter in a non-stick saucepan, mixing two tablespoons of plain flour, and allowing to cook gently for a minute or two.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk in which your haddock was cooked.
- Put back on the heat, stirring constantly until you have a nice smooth sauce.
- Remove from the heat and put to one side.
- Put the other half of the butter in a saucepan, add the sliced mushrooms and cook gently for two or three minutes.
- Meanwhile, your fish should now be cool enough to flake and for you to remove the meat from any bones.
- Take 8 ramekin dishes, lightly butter the inside and place the chunks of fish in them, followed by the cooked mushrooms.
- Season with plenty of black pepper, (don’t add salt, they don’t need it), top up the dishes with the white sauce, sprinkle with a few breadcrumbs and place in a hot oven for six or seven minutes at 240°C / 475°F / Gas Mark 9. They should be bubbling by this time.
- Allow to stand for a couple of minutes so that your guests don’t burn themselves and serve with lots of crusty bread for mopping up every last bit!