Ingredients
400–500 g fresh spinach, washed and left to drain for a few minutes
Butter, for greasing the dish
500 g smoked haddock, skinned and cut into 4 portions (I used Alfred Enderby, available online)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Ingredients for sauce
200 ml double cream or crème fraîche (or reduce the amount of cream by replacing with some fish or vegetable stock)
Zest and juice ½ lemon
100 g cheddar cheese, grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
10 g parsley, chopped (stalks and leaves)
Leaves from a few stalks of thyme (optional)
10 g fresh dill (optional)
Topping
Handful of fresh breadcrumbs
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Butter a medium gratin dish. Chop the spinach (if using large leaf), or leave whole for baby leaf, and place in the base of the baking dish. Season with black pepper. Lay the haddock fillets, skinned side down, on top (check all bones have been removed). Add the tomatoes.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and season with lots of fresh ground black pepper. Pour the mixture over the fish and spinach, tucking any dry spinach leaves under the fish or in the sauce.
Scatter over the breadcrumbs, add a grind of pepper, and bake for 30 mins until bubbling and golden.
Finish off under the grill for a couple of minutes, watching like a hawk so the breadcrumbs don’t burn. Serve from the dish.
Serves 4