Smoked Haddock Chowder

Preparation

• 1
  1. Peel the potatoes, cut them in half and parboil them in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes. Lift the potatoes out of the water, allow them to cool then cut them into pieces.
• 2
  2. Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan big enough to hold the fish laid flat, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the fish and bay leaves to the milk and simmer over a low heat for 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and lift the haddock out of the milk, reserving the cooking liquid to use later. Peel off and discard the skin, check for any bones, break the fish into large flakes and leave to one side.
• 3
  3. Peel and chop the onion finely. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion very gently for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Strain the reserved cooking liquid into the pan and pour in the hot vegetable stock then season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• 4
  4. Stir in the chopped potatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the potato is soft.
• 5
  5. Add the can of creamed corn and stir in well, then add the flaked haddock and cook gently for another 5 minutes, until everything is heated through.
• 6
  6. Spoon in the crème fraiche and stir gently, without breaking up the pieces of fish, heat for just a minute or two then serve. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle it on top of the bowls of chowder just as you serve it.