Smoked Haddock/Coley with a Mustard and Onion Cream
Smoked haddock brings back many happy childhood memories. I remember mum cooking it for us when I was a kid, she poached it in milk laced with sliced onions and chopped parsley both fresh from the garden. She would make a sauce from the milk when the fish was cooked then serve these with a dollop of creamy mash or new boiled potatoes in their skin nearly always from the garden too.
This is my take on mum’s dish, I added a few bits to give the dish more dept of flavour.
You can change the smoked haddock out for smoked coley which will be cheaper on you. I prefer naturally smoked haddock which is the one that looks pale as apposed to the bright orange one which usually contains a dye and sometimes even a smoke flavour rather than being actually smoked. Don’t get me wrong, I will choose and cook it if I am broke, I suggest you get the one you can afford as you will love the dish whichever you use.
Ingredients
600 – 800g smoked haddock or smoked coley
500ml fresh cream – see end of method for alternatives.
1/2 Knorr fish stock pot (veg will also do)
1 heaped tsp grain mustard (don’t use English mustard)
1 or 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
Small bunch fresh chopped parsley or chives
Instructions
1
Cut the fish into portions. 150g is a recommended adult portions and 75 – 100 for children.
2
Place the sliced onions in a dry non stick pan, use a tiny bit of oil if your pan isn’t very non stick, cook, till soft, on a medium heat without colouring much.
3
Add the cream, mustard and 1/2 stock pot, mix well until the stock pot dissolves. Add the chopped parsley or chive and give it a good stir again.
4
Place the fish in the pan then cover with lid or tin foil, simmer on a lowish heat for 15 minutes or so. This time will vary depending on how thick your fish is. Test it by cutting into the thickest part of one if you need to.
5
Remove the lid when the time is up the test the fish, if it is cooked place it on the plates, then give the sauce a good stir and pour as much as desired over the fish.
6
Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or rice
7
ALTERNATIVES TO CREAM – use in step 3.
8
Bring 500ml of milk slowly to the boil
9
Mix 25g of melted butter with 25g flour or gluten free flour to form a paste.
Add half of this to the boiled milk, give it a minute and see how thick it becomes adding more if needed. You want it thick but still pour-able.
Add half of this to the boiled milk, give it a minute and see how thick it becomes adding more if needed. You want it thick but still pour-able.
10
or
11
400 – 500g Creme Fraische
