James Martin's saffron haddock recipe
Produced from the stigma of the crocus flower, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. It takes some 70,000 flowers to make just half a kilo in weight of finished saffron. It’s used in Biryani, Pilaf and many desserts, but is perhaps best known for its use in the French bouillabaisse and Spanish paella. In the UK, it’s used in Cornish saffron cake. This recipe makes a light fish supper and the addition of saffron to the poaching liquid gives it a nice flavour, but be careful because too much will overpower everything else.
Ingredients
- 500 ml Milk
- 2 Good pinches of saffron
- 4 150g natural smoked haddock fillets, pin bones and skin removed
- 400 g New potatoes, unpeeled
- 50 ml Double cream
- 2 tbsp Chopped chives
- 2 tbsp Chopped dill
- 20 Asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
- 25 g Unsalted butter
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Pour the milk into a roasting tin, add the saffron and place over a low heat to gently warm through. This allows the flavour of the spice to infuse the milk. Add the haddock fillets and cook over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the fish to sit in the milk until required
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and cook for 20 mins or until tender, then drain. While the potatoes are still warm, add the double cream and, with a fork, crush the potatoes but don't mash them. Mix in the chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper and set aside
- Bring another saucepan of salted water to the boil, plunge the asparagus in and cook for 2 mins or until tender, then drain, add the butter and arrange 5 spears on each plate. Gently warm the haddock in the milk, place a spoonful of potatoes next to the asparagus then lift the haddock from the milk and place a fillet on top.
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Publisher - HarperCollins
The world’s most expensive food and drink