Equipment
Ingredients
Fish and Produce
- 200 g smoked haddock fillet, skinless, cut into 3cm chunks
- 150 g mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 10 g chives, finely chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
Pantry and Dairy
- 4 sourdough bread, thickly sliced
- 30 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 15 ml olive oil
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 50 g crème fraîche
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 944 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 90 mg
- Potassium
- 414 mg
- Calcium
- 64 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 192 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 198 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 4.0 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 114 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Brush the sourdough slices lightly with olive oil and toast them in a toaster or under a broiler until crisp and deep golden brown. Set aside on warm serving plates.
Melt the unsalted butter in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced shallot and sliced mushrooms, sautéing until the mushrooms have released their moisture and started to caramelize.
Pour the dry white wine into the pan to deglaze, using a spatula to scrape up any flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom. Allow the liquid to boil until reduced by half.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir the heavy cream and crème fraîche into the mushroom mixture, bringing it to a gentle, steady simmer.
Gently fold the chunks of smoked haddock into the simmering cream sauce. Cook without stirring vigorously until the fish is entirely opaque and reaches an internal temperature of 63°C/145°F.
Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully fold in the lemon juice, freshly cracked black pepper, and half of the finely chopped chives. Taste the sauce, keeping in mind that the smoked fish provides significant natural saltiness.
Spoon the warm haddock and mushroom fricassee generously over the prepared toasted sourdough slices. Garnish with the remaining chopped chives and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Opt for naturally smoked, undyed haddock rather than the bright yellow dyed varieties; the flavor is superior and it avoids artificial coloring.
- Wild mushrooms act like a sponge. Cook them over high heat initially to sear them before they release their water, which dramatically enhances their deep, earthy flavor.
- The residual salt from the cured and smoked haddock is usually sufficient to season the entire dish, which is why additional salt is omitted from the recipe. Taste the sauce at the very end before adding any extra salt.
- Crème fraîche adds a slight tangy richness that cuts through the heavy cream and balances the robust smoke of the fish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store the cream mixture separately from the bread to prevent sogginess. Gently reheat on the stove.
Reheating: Reheat the haddock mixture gently in a saucepan over low heat until just warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Cream sauce splits or looks oily
Cause: Heat was too high after adding the dairy, or cream had low fat content
Fix: Remove from heat immediately and rapidly whisk in a splash of cold water or a teaspoon of cold heavy cream
Prevention: Lower the heat before adding cream and ensure you use heavy double cream instead of single cream
Haddock breaks apart into a mushy texture
Cause: Stirring too vigorously after adding the fish chunks to the pan
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Gently fold the fish into the sauce and avoid unnecessary agitation while it poaches
Cultural Context
Rooted in traditional British seafood cookery, the pairing of smoked haddock and dairy is a nod to classic dishes like Cullen Skink and Kedgeree. Serving it over thick artisanal sourdough modernizes the flavor profile, transforming a rustic comfort food into an elegant, highly textured appetizer.
