As you will know by now, I like to go into the local shops and ask them what’s good today… On Saturday, Marsy (pictured here looking a bit dangerous) at Steve Hatt the fishmongers reeled off (Fishing joke, gedditt?) a list, and it was the haddock that took my eye. The lads asked me how I was going to cook it, and I said, “I don’t know, you tell me.”  Banter ensued. I was warned that Chef Guy (who also works at Steve Hatt) would use lots of French chef words and I wouldn’t understand him. So I plucked up the courage to ask him, and he said, “Fry it. With butter.” Very French. So I did.

Well, I added a few little extra touches of my own as follows:

Serves 4.

You will need:

1.5 kg haddock. Skin on, bones out, cut into 4 evenly sized pieces

A cup of breadcrumbs seasoned with a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and 2 tsps powdered sumac.

3 tbsp oil and a knob of butter (couple of tablespoons for those of you not prepared to guess what a “knob” is 😉 )

What to do (roughly speaking):

Spread the seasoned breadcrumbs out on a large shallow dish

Pat the haddock fillets dry with kitchen paper, then one by one press them firmly but gently into the breadcrumbs, first one side and then the other. Place them on another flat plate while you…

… heat a mix of cooking oil and butter in a large frying pan until it’s really hot.

Place the haddock pieces skin side down into the pan, turn down the heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes

Very gently turn them over with a fish slice and cook for 5 minutes on the other side. To check that they are cooked, gently insert a knife into the centre of one of the fillets and prise it open to take a look inside.

I served the haddock with some tiny new potatoes and a salad of red lettuce, cos lettuce, spinach and thinly sliced sweet red pepper dressed with mustard vinaigrette.

Thanks, chef guy. Thanks, everyone at Steve Hatt, everyone at the Market Garden, and everyone at James Elliott Butchers.

And thanks to all of you for your patience re. the recipe cards. I’m told they should be ready on 23rd June