Just set poached eggs, caressed by a smoky, soft creamy sauce with fall apart haddock and wilted spinach – on crunchy toast – this dish is pure joy and a celebration of simplicity! Brunch, lunch, or a simple supper – it’s a crowd pleaser.
Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 2
400g piece of smoked haddock fillet
250g spinach
2 Stonegate Estate Organic eggs
400ml organic whole milk
2 bay leaves
30g organic salted butter
30g organic plain flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices of sourdough or good country bread
Place a saucepan on a medium/high heat and pour in the milk. Cut the smoked haddock fillet in to two portions and when the milk is simmering, add the fish to the pan along with the bay leaves. Cook the haddock for 2-3 minutes or until it is just cooked through. Lift the fish out of the pan, cover and keep warm. Pour the poaching milk into a jug, discard the bay leaves.
Rinse the spinach, stripping out any courser stems as you go. If you’re using baby leaf, you won’t need to worry about this. Wilt the spinach in a pan over a high heat. Drain and allow to cool, before squeezing out the excess liquid from the cooked spinach.
Set a medium sized pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it’s bubbling away sprinkle in the flour and stir well to make a roux. Pour in the warm smoky milk, stirring all the time. Keep stirring, or you can use a whisk, until you have a smooth creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the spinach. Keep warm.
Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and add the vinegar. Twirl a spoon in the water to make a mini whirlpool. Crack in the eggs, turn the heat down to low and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the eggs are soft poached. Remember, the fresher the eggs, the better they poach. Remove the eggs carefully with a slotted spoon.
Toast or grill the bread, then butter it liberally. Spoon over a generous heap of creamed spinach and top with the poached smoked haddock. Pop a poached egg on top, or alongside, and tuck in.
