Smoked Haddock with Leek & Potato Cake, Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce

Smoked Haddock with Leek & Potato Cake, Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce. Smoked Haddock is delicately poached and served with a fried leek and potato cake, runny poached egg and creamy hollandaise sauce. A perfect brunch or dinner dish, it is a little bit more complex to make but worth the extra effort.

If you enjoyed this Smoked Haddock dish, you may like my other Seafood Recipes

Recipe

Serves 2

Difficulty Level Top Chef

Ingredients:

For the Smoked Haddock:

2 large fillets of smoked haddock
Milk
Bay leaves
Peppercorns
Salt and white pepper

For the Leek and Potato Cake:

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large leek, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon of plain flour
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the hollandaise sauce:

2 egg yolks
125g butter, melted
White wine vinegar
Salt and white pepper

2 eggs for poaching

Method

Place the potato chunks in a microwaveable bowl and cover with cling film. Pierce the cling film. Cook on high for 5-8 minutes until the potato is cooked through.
Meanwhile, melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan and fry the leeks and garlic clove over a medium heat for five minutes until softened.
Mix the cooked leek and garlic, flour and a good grind of salt and pepper into the potato and stir until just combined- don’t overmix. Form the potato mixture into two potato cake shapes (think a burger shape) place on a plate and into the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes.
Make the hollandaise. Place a glass bowl over a gently simmering pan of water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Add the egg yolks, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and a grind of salt and a pinch of white pepper to the bowl. Whisk until frothy (about one minute)
Gradually and very slowly, pour the melted butter into the eggs, whisking continuously. The sauce should come together and turn thick. Once all the butter is whisked into the eggs, remove from the heat and keep at room temperature.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add a heaped tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and allow to melt and heat up for one minute. Add the potato cakes and fry for around 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Whilst the potato cakes are cooking, poach the Smoked Haddock . Place a large pan over a high heat. Half fill the frying pan with milk and add a Bay leaf, a tablespoon of peppercorns and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat to low. Place the Smoked Haddock in the hot milk and poach gently (don’t allow the milk to come above a simmer) for 5 minutes.

Whilst the potato cakes and Smoked Haddock are cooking, poach the eggs (it will take around 4 minutes) Place a large pan of boiling water on a low heat. Stir the water to make a whirlpool and add one egg into the middle of the whirlpool. After 30 seconds, stir the water again very gently to a whirlpool and add the other egg. Poach the eggs gently (don’t allow the water to bubble) for 3 minutes before removing with a slotted spoon and draining on kitchen paper.
Serve the poached Smoked Haddock on top of the potato cakes, top with a poached egg and spoon over the hollandaise sauce.

Tips

Timing is key for this recipe to get everything prepared at the last minute. Make it easier by keeping the cooked potato cakes warm in a low oven. You could also make the hollandaise up to one day in advance, kept in the fridge covered in cling film.

Leave out the Smoked Haddock for a perfectly delicious vegetarian brunch.

Make it easier: swap the Smoked Haddock for Smoked Salmon