Baked Haddock and Eggs

Ingredients

• 1.haddock, skin and flake after blanching; quantity judged by number of servings
• 2.eggs, one whole egg per serving; broken into dents in the fish
• 3.cheddar cheese, generously grated; to cover
• 4.butter, dotted over top
• 5.30 millilitre butter, for white sauce
• 6.30 millilitre flour, for white sauce
• 7.1.5 millilitre salt, for white sauce
• 8.black pepper, a good pinch; for white sauce
• 9.250 millilitre milk, for white sauce

Method

1. 1.Place haddock in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Drain off the water — this removes the excess salt.
2. 2.Skin and flake the haddock and place it in a greased Pyrex dish.
3. 3.With the back of a spoon, press in shallow dents and break a whole egg into each dent.
4. 4.WHITE SAUCE: Melt the butter over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Blend in the flour and the seasonings. Cook a few minutes, stirring all the while. Remove from heat, stir in the milk, bring to the boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened — for best flavour, cook for 10 minutes. A wooden spoon for stirring is ideal.
5. 5.Make the white sauce and pour it over the haddock and eggs to cover them completely.
6. 6.Sprinkle generously with grated cheddar cheese and dot with butter.
7. 7.Bake for 30 minutes or until very lightly browned, in a moderate oven.

Notes

• The quantity of haddock and the number of eggs used must be judged according to the number of servings required — no quantities given on the card.
• Blanching the haddock in cold water first removes excess salt before baking.