In the dark months, nothing feeds our fishy needs like smoked haddock, that most soul-warming of flavours. This dish is a bit like that racy classic, haddock Monte Carlo.
Serves 4-6
4 x 160g pieces of smoked haddock, skinned and boned
800g King Edwards potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
400ml double cream
750ml milk
1 tbsp thyme
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
A dozen or so saffron threads
3 medium leeks, washed and thinly sliced
A big handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 large, ripe tomatoes, sliced
A few knobs of butter
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. 2 Heat the cream and milk with the thyme, garlic, bay, saffron and some seasoning. Bring it up to steaming, then turn the heat down so that it is just infusing gently as you build the rest of the dish. 3 Choose an ovenproof dish that will hold the fish snugly and has sides about 6cm high. Grease it well with butter. 4 Layer the bottom of the dish with half of the sliced potato, overlapping a little and seasoning as you go. 5 Add a layer of half the leek rings, followed by the rest of the spuds, again overlapping slightly. Season, then place the haddock pieces on top. 6 Turn the heat off the infused dairy mixture, stir the chopped parsley into it and pour half of the mixture over the fish. 7 Add the rest of the leeks and top with the sliced tomatoes. 8 Pour the rest of the dairy over the top. The top layer of leeks should be just about covered, but the tomatoes don't need to be. 9 Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Stick a knife down into the spuds and – as long as they're nearly done – whip the foil off, dot the top with knobs of butter and pop it back in the oven for a final 15 minutes.