Haddock mornay with spinach and poached duck egg

Serves 4 Starters and mains

Advertisement

Method

Wash the spinach and drain. Put a few teaspoons of oil in a large pan and add the spinach and a few sea salt crystals. Cover and cook for around 3 minutes, until wilted, then drain well and return to the pan with half the butter.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and have a large bowl of iced water on hand. Poach the eggs by cracking one at a time into a small glass and stir the water to create a whirlpool effect. Gently lower the egg into the vortex and turn the heat right down. Cook for 3 minutes, then lift into the cold water with a slotted spoon. Poach the others in the same way, then set aside until ready to reheat and serve the fish.

Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes and grind a little black pepper onto the haddock flesh, then set aside.

To make the mornay sauce, heat the milk and bay leaf for around 5 minutes and leave to infuse (watch carefully to prevent it from boiling over).

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat and stir in the flour, stirring for around 30 seconds
until the mixture is a pale blond colour. Discard the bay leaf and beat in the milk a little at a time until the sauce is smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer on a very low heat and cook, stirring, for around 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the mustard, salt, Gruyère cheese and cream and beat until silky smooth. Keep the sauce warm in a bowl over a pan of hot water (you can add more cream if the sauce needs to be a looser consistency when you serve).

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/Gas 6. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan (wrap the handle in foil if it isn’t ovenproof) with the rest of the butter, then add the haddock skin-side down and fry for 2 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn the fish over and put it in the oven for 6 minutes if chunky pieces and for 4 minutes if thinner pieces. Check the fish flakes easily; give it longer if necessary.

While the fish is cooking, get a pan of water boiling ready to reheat the eggs.

Reheat the spinach and put a heap on each plate and the fish on top. Drain the eggs on kitchen paper and place on top of the fish. Spoon over some mornay sauce without totally covering the egg. Break open the egg as you serve and scatter the micro amaranth leaves over the top.