Smoked haddock, potato, leek & egg salad

This is a really nice way of using smoked haddock. Buy the best quality you can and look for naturally smoked. The finest I have ever tasted comes from Grimsby, where the old methods have earned them protected status. There are traditional fish smokers there, namely Atkinsons and Alfred Enderby, who in my opinion make the finest smoked haddock in the world. 

Serves 2

300 ml/10½ fl oz/11⁄4 cups milk

1 fillet of undyed smoked haddock, 200 g/7 oz, skinned and pinboned

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp sugar dissolved in 1 tbsp water 

6 tbsp mayonnaise (see page 195) 

1 small leek, white part only, finely shredded

200 g/7 oz Jersey or early potatoes, washed, boiled and cooled to room temperature

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 hard-boiled eggs, whites and yolks separated and finely chopped

To Make

Warm the milk over a medium-low heat to a gentle simmer, then add the haddock and poach for 5–6 minutes until moist and cooked. Remove from the milk, flake the fish into a bowl and leave until just warm. Discard the milk. 

Mix the mustard with the sugar, then stir into the mayonnaise.

Place the leek, potatoes and mayonnaise in a bowl and stir, then fold in the fish and chives and season. Sprinkle with the chopped egg and serve.