When it comes to seafood, choose the best, choose Shetland.

SERVES 2

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Fillets of Smoked Haddock (pin bones removed)
• ½ pint milk
• 2 oz butter
• 2 oz plain flour
• 1 DSP grain mustard
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 3 oz white breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying
• 3 large eggs
• 6 large potatoes

 

METHOD

1. Boil the potatoes and mash. Chop the spring onions and quickly fry in half the butter until just soft but don’t let them go brown. Add to the mash and check the seasoning. Add more butter if you like – I would!
2. Heat a pan of water to a rolling boil, add a little white wine vinegar. Stir it into a circle and drop in the 2 eggs. This will ensure the whites wrap around the yolk. They must be just firm on the outside so don’t overcook. 2 minutes maximum.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. When cold remove to kitchen paper and dry them off. Use half the flour and coat the eggs, use the white of the last egg, add a little water to make an eggwash and keep the yolk. Put the eggs in this and coat well, finally gently roll in the breadcrumbs. These eggs will be very delicate, you mustn’t burst the yolk, so gently, gently!! Heat the oil to 180c and carefully place the coated eggs in until coloured and crispy. Remove onto kitchen paper and keep warm.
4. Heat the milk in a shallow pan, add the fillets of haddock and cook for no more than 2 minutes. A little longer if they are thicker fillets. Remove and keep warm. Melt the rest of the butter, blend in the flour and add this to the warm milk whisking continuously. To enrich the sauce, add the last egg yolk and check the seasoning. Finally, whisk in a dessert spoon of grain mustard.
5. Place a mound of the spring onion mash in the centre of the plate, the haddock fillet on top, pour over the sauce and crown with the fried egg. When you cut into the egg, the yolk should run out over the dish. Fiddly but so worth it. ENJOY!!