Welsh Rarebit Smoked Fish Gratins
These luxurious starters are packed with smoky haddock and decadent crayfish in a light creamy sauce. Sourdough slices topped with cheesy Welsh Rarebit make for an on-trend twist, too!
Hands-on time 20min. Cooking time about 30min. Serves 8
for the rarebit topping ◆ 125g (4oz) mature Cheddar,
grated ◆ 1tbsp cornflour ◆ 125ml (4fl oz) stout ◆ 2tsp English mustard ◆ A few splashes of
Worcestershire sauce ◆ 3 medium egg yolks ◆ 8 slices sourdough bread,
halved for the filling ◆ 40g (1½oz) butter ◆ Bunch of spring onions, sliced ◆ 40g (1½oz) plain flour ◆ 600ml (1 pint) milk ◆ 500g (1lb 2oz) smoked haddock,
cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks ◆ 175g (6oz) cooked crayfish tails
1 To make the rarebit topping, mix the cheese, cornflour, stout, mustard and Worcestershire sauce together in a small pan; gently heat until combined and thickened, about 1-2min. Once smooth, remove from heat and stir though egg yolks. Season and set aside. 2 To make the filling, gently melt
the butter in a pan and add the spring onions; cook for 3-4min until softened. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for 1min. Gradually add the milk, stirring, until smooth and thick, about 5min. Stir through the haddock and cook for a further 4-5min, adding the crayfish for the final 1min, until the fish is just cooked through. 3 Heat the grill to medium. Divide the fish mixture among 8 ramekins or small gratin dishes, top with the sliced sourdough and spoon over the rarebit mixture. 4 Set the dishes on a baking tray and grill for 3-5min, keeping an eye on them and rotating, to cook evenly. Serve straight away. PER SERVING 379cals, 28g protein, 14g fat (8g saturates), 34g carbs (5g total sugars), 2g fibre ■ BRING-A-DISH TIP Up to 1 day ahead, follow recipe up to end of step 3 (don’t heat the grill), allow to cool, then individually wrap the dishes and chill. Transfer to a cool bag to transport. To serve, heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Reheat gratins, uncovered, for 15min, until piping hot through, and complete recipe to serve.