This lovely flaky poached smoked haddock dish uses the cooking milk as the basis for the sauce which is then flavoured with lemon and mustard. In winter, I serve this with flavoured mashed/crushed potatoes. When the weather is warmer, a bed of spinach will do just fine. You will need a few different pans for this, keeping the cooked elements warm in a low oven

300g  undyed smoked haddock, boned but skin on

200g baby spinach leaves

2 eggs plus ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

For the potatoes:

200g potatoes, either peeled or scrubbed if using new potatoes

2 spring onions finely chopped

20g butter

milk

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

500ml milk

½ onion, thickly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

40g butter

1 tbsp plain flour (gluten free flour also works well)

1 tbsp chopped chives

2-3 teasp Dijon mustard (according to taste)

2-3 teasp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

• First, put the 500ml of milk (for the sauce) into a medium sized saucepan along with the sliced onion, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil then turn off the heat and allow to stand whilst you cook the potatoes

• Turn your oven to  80C. Cook the potatoes. Drain and crush/mash and combine with the spring onions, butter and milk until there is a smooth consistency. Season well and keep warm in the oven 

• Cook the spinach. Drain, season well and keep warm in the oven

• Bring back the milk to the boil and gently poach the haddock skin down for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Lift the haddock out of milk, remove the skin, put it on a  plate and keep warm in the oven 

• Strain the milk into a jug, discarding the onion, thyme and bay leaf. Wipe the pan clean, then melt the butter then stir in the flour and cook out for 2 minutes. Slowly add the flavoured milk a little at a time to make a smooth sauce. When just boiling, take off the heat and add the seasoning  and chives following by the lemon juice and mustard a little at a time until you have the flavour balance you want. Take of the heat and keep warm. 

• Finally, add the white wine vinegar and a little salt to a small saucepan. Whisk the water to create a vortex, then crack in an egg and cook for 3 ½ minutes. Remove, and repeat the process with the second egg. 

• To serve, place a 10cm metal ring in the centre of each serving plate and spoon in the potatoes. Remove the ring, then add the spinach followed by the smoked haddock. Drizzle over some of the sauce then top with the poached egg. Serve immediately