Smoked haddock, Leek and Potato Bake

Preparation

• 1
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, 180 degrees fan oven.
• 2
  2. Top and tail the leeks, wash them thoroughly and slice. Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthways and slice them quite thinly. Remove any skin or bones from the fish and cut it into pieces.
• 3
  3. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil then parboil the sliced potatoes for just 3-4 minutes before draining them
• 4
  you don’t want the slices to fall apart. Leave to steam dry for a few minutes.
• 5
  4. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil with a large knob of butter then gently sauté the leeks over a low heat for about 4 minutes, until they are soft. Spoon in the crème fraiche and stir, then add the hot stock a little at a time, season with black pepper and bring to a simmer. Snip the chives into small pieces and stir them in. Add the pieces of smoked haddock and cook gently for a minute or two.
• 6
  5. Tip the mixture into a shallow ovenproof dish then arrange the potato on the top, overlapping the slices so that there are no gaps. Grind a little black pepper on the top and bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are beginning to brown.
• 7
  6. Turn on the grill a few minutes before the dish comes out of the oven. Dot the top all over with little pieces of butter and place under the grill for a further 6-8 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden and crispy.