Marco’s Smoked Haddock with Butter Jersey Royals
Time: 1 hr
Serves 6
This dish really could not be any more simple – the smoky flavour of the fish perfectly compliments the texture of the Jersey Royals, the egg acting as a catalyst bringing all the flavours together. Slightly crushing the potatoes gives them crumbliness that soaks up the sauce beautifully.
Ingredients
For the Beurre Blanc Sauce
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 tsp white wine
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp double cream
- 500g unsalted butter, diced
- Salt & freshly ground white pepper
- 6 eggs
- 100ml white wine vinegar
- 36 medium-sized Jersey Royals potatoes, 6 per portion
- 100g unsalted butter
- Salt & freshly ground white pepper
- 50g finely chopped chives
- 6 x 180g pieces fresh, undyed, smoked haddock fillet
- Warm milk, to cover the fish
- 6 sprigs chervil, to garnish
Method
To make the Beurre Blanc sauce, place the shallots, wine and vinegar in a small pan and reduce to a syrup.
Add the cream and reduce it slightly.
Whisk in the diced butter, one piece at a time until it is amalgamated. Season to taste and pass through a fine sieve. Keep warm.
To poach the eggs, fill a tall pan three-quarters full with water, add the white wine vinegar and bring to the boil. Turn down the flame and break the eggs into the pan. After a few minutes, remove them and refresh in a bowl of iced water. Trim the egg whites neatly with a knife and reheat in hot salted water just before serving.
Boil the Jersey Royals in salted water until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and return to a clean pan. Add the butter and season to taste, then carefully crush the potatoes lightly with the back of a fork, breaking them up slightly and incorporating the butter. Add the chives and put aside somewhere warm.
Place the smoked haddock in a shallow pan and cover with the warm milk. Gently poach the fish for about 5 minutes, until it just begins to flake. Don’t overcook or it will fall apart. Spoon a pile of the crushed Jersey Royals into the centre of each plate. Place one piece of haddock on top of the potatoes and one poached egg on top of that. Spoon the Beurre Blanc sauce over the egg so it falls around the plate. Garnish with fresh sprigs of chervil.