Fish on Friday: comfort food

Poached smoked haddock, with parsley, egg, tomato and peas

Yes, I know it's not Friday - but I'm working away this week, so a meal plan is pointless. And besides, I'm really excited about this dinner. And it's rare this happens. Well, that's not entirely true - I also get excited when I don't have to cook. Anyway... I've been planning to cook fish as M's away working this week, but this week has been difficult and eating hasn't been a priority.

Poached smoked haddock - about 10 years ago this my ultimate comfort food. Always poached in mik, served with peas, bread and butter. I try to avoid dyed fillets of smoked haddock these days so eat it less, but picked up an undyed fillet in my favourite section of any supermarket. That little bay at the end of an aisle with the markdown stickers. You know you love it too.

Initially I planned to recreate that dish of (not quite) yore. However, M's been away this week and an early night - well, I could explain but if a picture paints a thousand words, this should explain better

Nigella of course, picked up on my poaching idea and took it to a new level. And that's what brought us here. To a Friday night, after much baking of Christmas cakes and steaming of puddings, where an oven proof dish sits on my kitchen worktop, ready to be filled with a variety of ingredients to pull together a step up from my poached smoked haddock.

1 fillet undyed smoked haddock

250ml skimmed milk

Small bunch flat leaf parsley

1 cup of frozen peas

2 plum tomatoes

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C

Butter an ovenproof ramekin, and put the haddock in it. Add the milk, frozen peas and tomatoes, grind some pepper over and tear in the parsley. 

As you're about to put the dish in the oven (on a baking tray) crack in an egg

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on how well done you want your egg

Eat from your knees, in front of the television.

 

 

 

If you leave your egg yolk runny this would be fab with bread and butter.