A delicious fish risotto which also includes Parmesan cheese. We’re firm disbelievers of the “no cheese with fish” rule!
Wine Suggestion: we gravitated to something Spanish for this dish, the Bodegas Castro Martin Albariño, which has the body and texture required to stand up to the richness and intense flavours the dish presents with the the umami pepperiness complimenting the salty/savoury smoked fish.
Smoked haddock & leek risotto – serves 4
50g butter
4 medium leeks, finely sliced
1.25 litres light chicken stock
450g smoked haddock
300g risotto rice
75g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and and gently cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a separate pan.
Put the fish in another pan and enough of the hot stock to cover. Poach for 5 minutes, then remove the skin and discard. Leave the cooked fish in the stock off the heat.
Add the rice to the leeks and stir until coated in the butter. Start adding the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add another ladle when the previous one has been completely absorbed. Keep going for about 20 minutes, then start tasting the rice – you want it to be soft with just a slight bite in the middle. Use the stock in the fish for the last addition of liquid.
Gently break the fish into chunks and stir into the risotto at the last minute, along with 2 tbsp of the Parmesan.
Check the seasoning (you probably won’t need salt) and add plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately with the rest of the Parmesan for sprinkling over.
(Original recipe from Rosast Figs, Sugar Snow by Diana Henry, Aster*, 2023.)
This must be the easiest and cheapest of fish soups but that does not make it any less delicious! Particularly good after a walk out in the cold. And no it’s not made from “skinks” for all the Aussies out there who may be confused … it’s a classic Scottish soup made from smoked fish!
Wine Suggestion: We would highly recommend pairing this with a peaty whisky like Lagavulin. If this doesn’t rock your boat, or you don’t have a bottle to hand then a dry, aromatic and elegant white, like the Sybille Kuntz Riesling Kabinett makes the whole meal feel refined and very sophisticated too.
Cullen skink – serves 4
50g buttter
1 onion, finely chopped
1.2 litres full fat milk
750g floury potatoes
450g smoked haddock fillet
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook gently for 7-8 minutes.
Add the milk and bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft.
Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until cooked and easy to flake. Gently remove the haddock with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave until cook enough to handle.
Meanwhile, use your wooden spoon to squash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.
When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into chunky flakes, discarding any skin and bones. Tip the fish into the soup, then add the parsley. Serve in warm soup bowls with a little more parsley.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Supper, BBC Books, 2023.)
We had planned to cook this outside on a fire pit until Jono lit a blazing inferno and scared us off. It was the excitement of being outside after a year of rain! A simple dish and such a treat.
Wine Suggestion: We just think smoked haddock and a good, oaked Chardonnay are a match, with some of the best value and superb quality coming from the new world. Tonight was Neudorf’s Tiritiri Chardonnay which was elegant and rounded, with a supreme balance, hints of smoky oak and layers of texture, nuts and finishing fresh and vibrant. Under-rated and such a treat.
Smoked haddock and spinach gnocchi – serves 2
100ml double cream
a few big handfuls of young spinach, roughly chopped
200g skinless smoked haddock fillet, cut into bitesize pieces
200g fresh gnocchi (from the fridge section)
1 tsp grainy mustard
25g mature cheddar cheese, grated
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
Put a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Pour the cream into the pan with a few tablespoons of water. Add the spinach and fish and cook for a minute or two. Add the gnocchi, mustard and cheese and stir gently. Add a bit more water if the sauce is too thick.
When everything is heated through, remove the pan from the heat and add plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley to serve.
(Original recipe from Outside by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2022.)
This is a long recipe but it’s not difficult and quite nice and methodical. You can make the fishcakes earlier in the day and cook when you’re ready if you like. You will get big fishcakes full of chunky pieces of fish. Serve with green salad.
Wine Suggestion: a top-notch Muscadet, like Jérémie Huchet’s, very special Clos des Montys. Finely toned and vibrant with citrus and grapefruit on the palate; both dry and salty, and creamy at the same time. It’s a little edgy, but we like that. Wines like this bring out the flavours of the sea and celebrate the three fish in this dish.
Fishcakes with parsley sauce – serves 6
600g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into chunks
250g thick unskinned cod fillet
250g thick unkinned salmon fillet
100g unskinned smoked haddock fillet
500ml full-fat milk
1 bay leaf
grated zest of ½ lemon
6 scallions, finely sliced
25g plain flour
2 eggs
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
75ml vegetable oil
lemon wedges, to serve
FOR THE PARSLEY SAUCE:
25g butter
25g plain flour
reserved milk from cooking the fish
25g curly parsley, finely chopped
Put the potatoes into cold salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender, then drain and mash. Season with salt and white pepper, then spread the potatoes out over a plate to cool.
Put the fish pieces into a large saucepan with the milk and bay leaf. Season with a little salt and peppper. Cover with a lid and gently bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Remove the fish from the milk and set onto a plate. Pour the milk into a jug as you will need this for the parsley sauce later. Remove the skin from the fish and break it into chunky pieces, discarding any bones, then leave to cool completely.
When the potato has cooled, transfer it to a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest and scallions. Gently stir in the fish with a wooden spoon, trying not to break it up too much.
Divid the mixture into 6 balls. Flatten the balls into cakes, about 3cm thick, and place on a lined baking tray. Put the tray into the fridge for 45 minutes or into the freezer for 20 to firm up.
Sprinkle the flour over a plate. Beat the eggs together in a shallow bowl. Spread half the breadcrumbs over another plate. Now take each fishcake and coat in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg, allowing excess to drip off and finally into the breadcrumnbs to coat. Place on a lined baking tray. When you have coated 3 fishcakes put the rest of the breadcrumbs onto the plate for the rest. The fishcakes will keep in the fridge for 24 hours at this stage.
Heat the oven to 200/C/180C fan.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then place 3 fishcakes into the pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Put onto a baking tray while you fry the rest.
Put the fishcakes into the hot oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Test with a skewer to make sure they are hot right through to the middle.
To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter in a small pan, then stir in the flour. Cook for a minute, then gradually add the reserved milk, stirring continually until you have a smooth sauce. Allow to simmer, then cook gently for a few minutes until thickened, then season. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
Serve the fishcakes with the sauce and some lemon wedges. A green salad works well on the side.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ British Classice by Si King and Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2018.)
We recently discovered the ‘Theo’s’ brand of filo pastry in one of our local shops; definitely better than most others we’ve used. It’s usefully a touch larger per sheet, and very easy to work with. Combined with a light, crispy finish we’ll definitely be putting some in our freezer for whenever the mood strikes.
This is a rich and substantial dish, but you can divide it all between two pie dishes and freeze one for later if you like. Serve with a green salad with bacon bits and lemony dressing.
Wine Suggestion: This is worth splashing out on a good Chardonnay that has both body and a nutty, mineral freshness. An old favourite of ours would be something from the Jura, but given their scarcity opened an Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc “les Sétilles”, a cuvée from Puligny and Meursault vineyards that while inexpensive has some serious chops behind it. All citrussy, deep and bubbling with energy.
Smoked haddock, cheese & leek pie – serves 6 to 8
600ml full fat milk
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp white peppercorns
650g smoked haddock fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
75g butter, plus extra for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, grated
2 large leeks, halved and finely sliced
75g plain flour
1 tbsp English mustard powder
juice of 1 lemon
175g strong cheddar, diced
FOR THE FILO CRUST:
140g butter
6 cloves of garlic, grated
400g filo pastry, preferably Theo’s brand
large bunch of chives, finely snipped
Bring the milk, bay and peppercorns to a simmer in a large shallow pan. Add the smoked haddock fillets, then remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave for 30 minutes. Remove the haddock from the liquid onto a plate, then strain the milk into a jug.
Remove any skin and bones from the haddock and break into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Heat the oil and a small knob of butter in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes, then set aside to cool (drain in a colander if there is liquid).
In the same pan, melt the 75g butter, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for a few minutes, then slowly add the warm milk, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the mustard powder, lemon juice and some seasoning, then pass through a fine sieve.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Put the leeks into the base of a 1.6 litre pie dish and top with a third of the sauce. Next add the smoked haddock and another third of the sauce. Finally, scatter over the cheese and top with the remaining sauce, making sure the filling is completely covered.
For the filo pastry, melt the butter in a small pan, then add the galric and heat gently for about 5 minutes. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a wooden board and brush all over with the garlic butter, then sprinkle with chives and some black pepper. Put another sheet of pastry on top, at a slight angle and repeat. Continue until all of the pastry is used, you will end up with a sort of pastry circle. Lay this over the pie dish, trim the edges with scissors or a sharp knife, but still leave an overhang. Brush with a final layer of butter, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 40 minutes or until crisp.
(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2015.)
This is like a fish pie … but is so much easier to make and perfect for a Friday night after a long week. It’s also usefully gluten-free, unlike many other fish pies. Serve with a big bowl of peas.
Wine Suggestion: A new find from Cabardes in France, Domaine Ventenac’s “les Dissidents” Cassandre. A joyfully fresh Vermentino, a grape we think is the next big thing from southern France.
Haddock Bake – serves 6
350g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
500g baby spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
3 eggs, hard-boiled and cut into quarters (put them into boiling water and time for 8 minutes)
500g skinless smoked haddock, cut into large chunks
300ml double cream
2 tsp grainy mustard
75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
Put the potatoes into cold salted water, cover and bring to the boil, then cook for about 10 minutes or until just cooked. Drain well and leave to steam dry in the pot
Heat a large fring pan, add the spinach, and cook until just wilted, then drain in a colander. You will need to do this in batches. Squeeze the spinach against the colander to get rid of as much water as possible. When cool enough to handle you can squeeze it again with your hands.
Heat the oil in the same frying pan, add the mushrooms, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked.
Grease a 2 litre shallow oven-proof dish with a little butter.
Scatter the potatoes, spinach and mushrooms over the base of the dish, then spread the haddock and eggs over the top and season.
Mix the cream and mustard together with some seasoning, then pour over the dish and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top.
Serve with lots of peas.
(Original recipe from Mary Berry Cooks up a Feast with Lucy Young, DK, 2019.)
These make a nice brunch or lunch dish with some brown bread or toast.
Smoked haddock & spinach egg pots – serves 4
a little soft butter for greasing
4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
200g skinless smoked haddock fillets, diced
200g baby spinach
6 large eggs
200ml crème fraîche
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g Cheddar, grated
a pinch of sweet smoked paprika
a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Brown bread or buttered toast, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
Grease the inside of four 250ml ramekins or oven-proof dishes with butter, then dust with the breadcrumbs.
Divide the fish between the dishes and put onto a baking tray.
Wilt the spinach in a large saucepan with a tiny amount of water. Stir over a high heat for a few minutes, until wilted. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Leave to cool slightly, then squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the spinach. Roughly chop and divide between the dishes.
Whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together in a bowl and season with a little grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the dishes and sprinkle with the cheese and a little smoked paprika.
Put the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to the grill setting and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the toast or bread.
(Original recipe from Fresh Start by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.)
We love hollandaise but very rarely make it. This is going to change now we know how to do this cheat’s version. It can be adapted very easily for Béarnaise sauce for steak by adding some fresh tarragon. It’s a revelation!
Wine Suggestion: matching milder haddock and the creamy hollandaise requires a delicate touch and we’d suggest a white with a touch of oak, but not too much. The easiest choice is a Chardonnay which we duly went for; a Château de Beauregard Saint-Véran. Medium bodied, this is made partially in stainless steel and the other half in oak and has a lovely apple, citrus and brioche flavour and a mineral freshness to balance.
2 x 140g smoked haddock fillets (boycott the artificially dyed orange stuff)
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 egg yolks
1 tsp cornflour
100ml double cream, plus a bit extra in case you need to rescue the hollandaise
2 tsp white wine vinegar
FOR THE POTATOES:
500g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm chunks
knob of butter
1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus a bit extra
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp capers, drained
small handful of dill, leaves picked
1 lemon, zested, then cut into wedges to serve
Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then season with salt, cover with a lid, and simmer for 7-8 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Drain and leave in the pot to steam dry.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan. Add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the potatoes and fry for 15 minutes or until crusty and browned.
To make the hollandaise you need to put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk in the cornflour until smooth. Add the cream and the vinegar, and season well. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously, until it resembles a hollandaise sauce (like thin custard). If the sauce looks like it’s going to split or it’s getting too hot, just add another splash of cream and keep whisking. Check the seasoning and add a bit more salt or vinegar if needed.
Heat the grill to medium-high.
Heat a splash of oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, season with salt and black pepper. Turn the heat off and spread the spinach across the base of the frying pan. Lay the haddock fillets on top of the spinach, then pour over the hollandaise sauce. Put the pan under the grill for about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked (it should flake easily) and the sauce is browned.
Toss the capers, dill and lemon zest over the cooked potatoes. Serve the potatoes with the fish and put the lemon wedges on the plates to squeeze over.
We are mad about fish pie and this one is particularly good. Yet another excuse to never through away our old food magazines!
Wine Suggestion: you need a fresh, vibrant white with a medium to full body; try to avoid heavily oaked and super-rich wines though. A good choice would be Chenin Blanc and the choice here is getting better each day. We’ve tried well made but simple ones from both the Loire and South Africa to good effect as well as some more complex ones like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs from Swartland and some Savennieres too.
Haddock Pie – serves 6
1 small onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves
1 fresh bay leaf
600ml creamy milk
300ml double cream
450g haddock fillet with skin
200g undyed smoked haddock fillet
4 eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk
100g cooked peeled prawns
100g butter
40g plain flour
5tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1.25kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into chunks
Stud a couple of the onion slices with the cloves and put into a large pan with the bay leaf, 450ml of the milk, the cream, haddock and smoked haddock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Lift out the fish and strain the cooking liquor into a jug.
Wait for the fish to cool and meanwhile hard boil the whole eggs for 8 minutes, then drain, cover with cold water and leave to cool.
When the fish has cooled a bit, break it into large flakes, discarding the skin and any bones. Sprinkle the flakes of fish over the base of a shallow 1.7 litre ovenproof dish. Scatter the prawns over the top. Shell the eggs and cut into chunky slices. Arrange these over the fish and prawns.
Melt 50g of the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the reserved fish cooking liquor. Return to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/Fan 180C.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash well and beat in the egg yolk and remaining butter. Season with salt and white pepper and beat in enough of the remaining milk to make a smooth mash that’s easy to spread.
Spoon the mashed potato over the filling and mark the surface with a fork. Bake for 40-45 minutes until piping hot and golden brown.
(Original recipe by Rick Stein in BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2001.)
The pictures just don’t do justice with how delicious this dish tasted; highly recommended!
Wine Suggestion: Try complementing the smoky fish with an oaked white such as a New World Chardonnay.
Smoked haddock with lentils – serves 2
250ml double cream
350g piece of smoked haddock, skin removed
6 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
a thick slice of butter
150g green lentils
400ml vegetable stock
a large handful of chopped parsley
Put the cream in a shallow pan. Add the haddock, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then turn off and cover with a lid.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Cook the carrot and onion in the butter for about 5 minutes, then add the lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are almost soft, then stir in the cream from the fish. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced to just cover the lentils.
Add the parsley and season. Divide the lentils between two dishes and serve the haddock on top.
(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Eat: The little book of fast food, Fourth Estate, 2013.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 