A delicious and easy-to-make dish that’s much neglected these days is Finnan Haddie. I suspect it’s partly because this fish (smoked haddock) is harder to come by than it used to be. Whereas I used to be able to buy it fresh, I now find it only in its frozen form. Though it’s a bit pricey, I can report, however, that it is still of excellent quality. Here’s a photo of the one I purchased.
Frozen Finnan Haddie
The recipe for Creamed Finnan Haddie that I use came from a now-deceased friend, C. Bruce Hunter. Bruce, who was born in Nova Scotia, where Finnan Haddie is extremely popular, was a highly respected Meso-American archaeologist. I met him in a short work stint at The American Museum of Natural History, where he was a prominent lecturer. Besides having written two of the most popular guides to ancient Mayan and Mexican ruins, Bruce was a magnificent cook. I offer his recipe intact. The only alteration I made was adding a bit of Tabasco sauce for a more piquant flavor.
Place the Finnan Haddie fillets in a large Dutch oven.
Thawed fillets.
Cover with milk, and add, thyme, a bay leaf, and a thinly sliced onion. Allow the fish to stand for an hour or more. Then simmer over low heat until the Finnan Haddie begins to flake, about 10 minutes or so.
Marinade of milk, herbs, and onion.
Remove the fish from the liquid and allow it to cool. Reserve the poaching liquid. If the Finnan Haddie has a skin, gently remove it.
Cooked fillets, needing to be skinned
Flake the fish and set aside.
Flaked cooked fish.
In another heavy pot, heat butter until it begins to foam. Whisk in flour.
Flour and butter.
Cook for a few minutes without allowing it to brown.
The roux.
Strain the reserved poaching liquid into the roux, and continue whisking and cooking until the mixture has thickened.
Strain poaching liquid into the roux.
Whisk in heavy cream to add richness to the sauce.
Add heavy cream.
Then grate in some nutmeg and add the optional drops of Tabasco sauce to taste. Check to see whether the sauce needs salt. Then grind some fresh pepper into the sauce.
Cut a large red pepper into slivers, and gently sauté it in a little butter, just until tender. Do not brown.
Sauté red pepper.
Fold the flaked Finnan Haddie into the sauce.
Flaked cook fish.
Gently stir in the red pepper, heating over a low flame until hot.
Cut two hard-boiled eggs into quarters. Place a slice of fresh toast on each plate. Spoon a generous portion of the fish over the toast and egg. Decorate with minced parsley. I like to serve creamed Finnan Haddie with boiled parsley potatoes and a green vegetable.
Finnan Haddie on toast.
The above amount should serve about 4 people. I have found that creamed Finnan Haddie reheats perfectly, so I frequently double the portions, so I have leftovers.
To print or download the recipe, click here.
