Ingredients

Method

• 500 g frozen smoked haddock fillets
• 2 cups organic full cream milk
• 1 bay leaf
• A few peppercorns
• A few sprigs of parsley
• 1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry
• 1 1/4 cup grated organic cheddar
• 3/4 cup thick cream
• 1 t english mustard
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 T toasted breadcrumbs
• Baby spinach salad, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the frozen fish in a wide pan. Add the milk, bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley. Bring to a bubble, cover tightly and simmer on the lowest heat for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Place the sheet of pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Mix 1 cup of the cheese with ½ cup of the cream, the mustard and a twist or two of black pepper, then spread over the pastry.

Pat the haddock fillets dry using paper towel and arrange on top. Spoon over the remaining cream and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese.

Place just below the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the pastry cooked and crisp. Serve with a baby spinach salad on the side.

Cook’s note: For further dimension, add a layer of thinly sliced onion that has been slow-fried in butter and olive oil until meltingly soft.