Smoked Haddock Souffle

The creamy mild flavour of Dijon mustard goes deliciously well with smoked haddock and gives a mild background tang to this lovely soufflé. Dusting the inside of the deep, straight-sided dish with finely grated Parmesan creates a thin, golden cheesy shell for the soufflé and this crusty carapace is always the favourite mouthful. It’s not a good idea to open the oven wide during the cooking time but very important not to overcook the soufflé. It should rise spectacularly over the top of the dish and running your thumb or a knife around the inside edge before it goes into the oven will create an impressive cap. The middle should still be just set but a tad wobbly. 

Serves 4

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 30 min

300g naturally smoked haddock

350ml milk

75g butter

3 tbsp freshly, finely grated Parmesan

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 whole eggs

2 egg whites

     Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Place a baking sheet on the shelf where the soufflé dish will end up, ensuring there is plenty of space for rising. Lavishly smear a 2 litre capacity soufflé dish with 25g butter. Dust with Parmesan, turning the dish in your hands so that base and sides are evenly coated. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Simmer the haddock in milk for 4-6 minutes until just cooked. Flake the fish off the skin onto a plate and strain the milk, including any left on the plate, into a jug. Melt 50g butter in a medium pan and stir in the flour to make a very stiff roux. Stir in the mustard, add the milk gradually, stirring then whisking until smooth. Simmer gently, giving the occasional stir, for a few minutes to cook the flour. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. Remove from the heat. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks, one at a time, into the hot sauce. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Using a metal spoon, fold 2 tbsp egg white into the sauce to slacken. Stir in the fish. Gently fold the remaining egg white into the mixture and pour/spoon into the prepared dish. Lightly dust the top with Parmesan. Make a deep groove with your thumb round the inside edge of the soufflé. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the soufflé has risen above the top of the dish and the top crusty and golden. Serve immediately.