Crisp haddock cobbler recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) haddock, skinned and cut into 3 cm (1¼in) dice
• ¾ pint (425 ml) whole milk
• 1 pinch sea salt
• Ground black pepper

• 1¼ oz (35 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 oz (30 g) plain flour
• 4 fl oz (125 ml) single cream
• 2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 large handful curly parsley, no thick stalks, finely chopped

• 1¾ oz (50 g) fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 7 oz (200 g) plain flour
• 1 oz (30 g) cornflour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp Garam Masala blend
• 5½ oz (150 g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 5–6 fl oz (150–175 ml) whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (gas mark 7). Put the fish in a saucepan, and cover with the milk. Add the salt and pepper to taste and put over a medium heat. Bring up to a bubble, then poach gently for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, remove the fish pieces from the milk with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Reserve the cooking liquor.
2. For the sauce, put a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux, then cook for 30 seconds.
3. Pour 400 ml (14 fl oz) of the reserved cooking liquor and the cream into a jug, then pour it bit by bit into the pan, whisking all the time to combine well with the roux. Once all the liquid has been added, keep whisking and allow the sauce to cook until you see the first bubbles appear, then continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Next, add the mustard and salt, and stir well to combine. Cook gently for 5 minutes, with only the odd bubble or two popping up, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley, stir, then cover the surface with greaseproof paper and set aside.
5. Lay the fish in a 30 × 25 × 4.5 cm (12 × 10 × 1¾ in) roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Pour in the sauce, coating the fish. Set aside to cool completely.
6. Put all the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
7. To make the cobbler scones, sift the flours and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and Garam Masala and stir to combine. Rub the chilled butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Then, using a fork to stir, pour in a little milk at a time until you have a batter with a thick dropping consistency (like fruit cake batter).
8. Drop random blobs of the scone mixture over the fish, then pop the tin or dish into a large roasting tin to catch any bubbling sauce that overflows as it cooks. Cook on a high shelf in the oven for 15 minutes or until the topping has risen.
9. Pull the tin out of the oven slightly, scatter the surface with the crumb topping, then put the tin onto a middle shelf and continue to bake for 12–15 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown and the sauce bubbles up through the cobblers. Serve with some fresh, crisp leaves.