This would definitely be one of my death row dishes! Paulie and I are going on holiday next week so he asked me what I would like for my last Saturday night dinner and this was my request. It is based on a Delia Smith christmas recipe with a few tweaks like extra capers. There is no cream in the filling which helps keep this dinner light (so you can eat more) and you can really taste the flavours of the fish. I love the rosti topping it is so crispy and adds so much texture rather than a mash topping. The filling is smokey from the haddock, salty from the capers and sweet from the scallops. You can try this with different fish combinations, we have tried prawns and cod, however this combination is by far my favourite. I think you really need the smokey flavour from the haddock to make it a truly scrumptious dish.

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes
• 300ml fish stock
• 150ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 whole fillet of smoked haddock
• 100g butter (separated into 2 50g)
• 50g plain flour
• splash of milk (1 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp capers
• 6 cornichons chopped (similar size to capers)
• 8 queenie scallops (we used frozen)
• 50g cheddar cheese grated

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C – Fan Oven 200)
2. First of all, prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them, but leaving the skins on. As they all have to cook at the same time, if there are any larger ones cut them in half. Then place them in a saucepan with enough boiling, salted water to barely cover them and cook them for 12 minutes after they have come back to the boil, covered with the lid. Strain off the water and cover them with a clean tea cloth to absorb the steam.
3. In a pan add the fish stock, white wine and bay leaf cook on a low heat until simmering. Add the haddock to the simmering liquor and poach the fish for 5 minutes (picture at top of page).
4. Remove the haddock and place on a plate, pass the cooking liquor through a sieve into a bowl and set aside.
5. Give the poaching pan a wipe and add replace on heat, add 50g butter and 50g plain flour. Whisk the flour and butter constantly for 2 minutes to form a roux.
6. Slowly add the poaching liquor to the roux making sure you stir it all of the time (we added ours in 3 batches) add a splash of milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp capers and the chopped cornichons to the sauce.
7. Remove the skin from the haddock and flake the meat into large chunks making sure there are no bones, add the flaked meat to the sauce as well as adding in the scallops (we added ours straight from freezer) and take off the heat.
8. The potatoes should have cooled by now, if hot use a glove or tea towel to handle them. Grate the potatoes with the skin on into a bowl and add 2 tbsp of capers (picture above)
9. Melt the other 50g of butter on a low heat, once melted add to the rosti mix stirring lightly with a fork to combine.
10. In a medium oven dish add a layer of the fish mixture, top with the rosti and sprinkle over the grated cheese.
11. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.