Creamy and comforting macaroni cheese with the tasty and nutritious addition of smoky haddock, served with a fresh tomato and basil salad.

Preparation

• 1
  Place half an onion, roughly chopped, bay leaves and a few peppercorns in the milk, bring to a gentle simmer and poach the haddock for 10 minutes.
• 2
  Lift out the fish, discard any skin or bones, and then put to one side. Strain off and reserve the milk to use for the sauce.
• 3
  Cook the macaroni until al dente, according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside.
• 4
  At the same time, hardboil the eggs, peel and allow to cool and then chop roughly.
• 5
  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees fan oven.
• 6
  Chop the remaining half of onion very finely and saute gently in the butter for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in the flour and then the milk, a little at a time, to make the sauce. Continue to cook gently, stirring, for a minute of two.
• 7
  Keep stirring on a low heat and add the nutmeg and mustard to the sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a little more milk if needed. Stir in the cheese until it melts to make a smooth sauce, then add a small handful of chopped chives.
• 8
  Separate the haddock into large flakes and arrange with the chopped eggs on the bottom of an oven proof dish. Scatter the pasta on top and mix gently. Spoon the sauce on evenly, gently stirring it so that it covers the other ingredients.
• 9
  Grate the Parmesan and blitz briefly with the bread and a small handful of chopped chives to make a crumb topping. Scatter evenly on top of the pasta bake and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is ,golden brown.
• 10
  Serve with a simple tomato salad, made with halved cherry or baby plum tomatoes, mixed with roughly torn basil leaves and a splash of olive oil.