Smoked Haddock With Poached Egg And Hollandaise Sauce

Method

• Get a saucepan, large enough to hold the 4 smoked haddock fillets in one layer, and add some water, the bay leaf, a whole peeled onion and a few peppercorns. Bring to the boil.
• Place the fillets in the pan. As the water comes back to the boil, turn the fillets over to poach them on both sides. This should take a few minutes. When both sides are white and opaque, remove the fish from the pan.
• Add the spinach to the boiling water and blanch for a minute or 2.
• Crush a clove of garlic and add a couple of grinds of nutmeg, some fresh Italian parsley and plenty of salt and pepper, plus, a bit of the peppercorn mixture from the pan. Mix this with the spinach. Set aside.
• For the hollandaise sauce, put the egg yolks and vinegar mixture in the small cup of a food mixer. Add the lemon juice and crushed peppercorns and bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
• Whisk at high speed until it thickens and becomes pale yellow and fluffy. Turn down the speed and add the melted butter, sluicing it in a little at a time. Leave in the food mixer in a warm place to rest.
• Lay out a slice of butter toast on each plate. Add the spinach mixture, then, put the haddock fillets on top.
• Using the back of a spoon, spread the hollandaise sauce over the haddock.
• Serving Suggestions: Serve with poached eggs, and sprinkled with a little paprika.