Sussex smokies
Serves: 6 as a starter, 4 as a main
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Sussex smokies
Thought to date back to the 1800s, these little pots of smoky haddock in a rich cheesy sauce, topped with a buttery golden crumb, are commonly found as a traditional starter in pubs across southeast England. The recipe also works well baked in a larger dish to make a main meal
Serves: 6 as a starter, 4 as a main
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving (1 of 6))
Calories
462Kcal
Fat
32gr
Saturates
19gr
Carbs
23gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
22gr
Salt
1.5gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 300ml whole milk
- 100ml double cream
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 480g skin-on smoked haddock fillets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g salted butter
- 1 large leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 25g plain flour
- 80g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- small handful curly parsley, chopped
- 120g fresh white breadcrumbs
Step by step
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then add the fish, skin-side down, and gently poach for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the fish to continue cooking in the residual heat for another 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the liquid and set aside to rest. Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns, and reserve the poaching liquid.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil and 25g of the butter in a sauté or frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks with a big pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Scrape the leeks into a bowl.
- In the same pan, melt another 25g of the butter. Whisk in the flour, continuing to cook for a minute. Gradually whisk in the poaching liquid along with any juices from the resting fish, until you have a thick, smooth sauce. If it seems too thick – more like a paste – add a splash more milk. Whisk in the cheese and parsley, stirring until the cheese has melted. Stir the leeks into the sauce. Flake in the fish, discarding the skin, and gently fold through with some freshly ground black pepper – you shouldn’t need any additional salt, but season to your preference.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Divide the fish and leek mixture amongsix ramekins(9cm diameter x 5cm deep) or pour into a 20cm x 4cm-deep baking dish. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Scatter over the fish mixture, transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden and bubbling.
