
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
Nutrition: nutrition per pancake (for 4)
- kcal943
- fat74g
- saturates41g
- carbs28g
- sugars0g
- fibre1g
- protein42g
- salt3.36g
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 50g plain flour
- 2 large free-range eggs
Egg
eggThe ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a…
- 175ml milk
Milk
mill-kOne of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…
- mild olive oil (not extra virgin), for frying
Olive oil
ol-iv oylProbably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
For the souffle
- 300g undyed smoked haddock fillet
- 300ml milk
Milk
mill-kOne of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…
- 1 small onion, sliced
Onion
un-yunOnions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 1 bay leaf
- 40g unsalted butter, plus butter wrapper
- 40g plain flour
- 2 large free-range egg yolks
- 100g Gruyère, emmental or cheddar, grated
Gruyère
groo-ee-yeahGruyère is an undoubted pinnacle of traditional Swiss cheese-making, a culinary masterpiece as…
- 3 large free-range egg whites
- a little softened butter, for greasing
Butter
butt-errButter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…
- 284ml carton double cream (plus a 142ml carton if serving 6)
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated (use 85g/3oz if serving 6)
Parmesan
parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
Method
Tip the flour and ½ tsp salt into a blender, add the eggs and milk and whizz to a smooth batter. There’s no need to let the batter stand as it only has a little flour in it – you can use it straight away.
Put a non-stick 16-18cm omelette or crêpe pan over a high heat and wait until you feel a good heat rising. Brush the pan lightly with oil then pour in about 2 tbsp of the batter, using a small ladle, and quicky swirl it around the pan to coat. Cook for 30-60 seconds, then loosen the edges with a small palette knife and check underneath. It should be a mid golden-brown colour. Carefully flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 20-30 seconds. Slide the pancake out onto a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batter, oiling the pan in between and stacking the pancakes on top of each other, then leave to cool.
Lay the haddock, skin-side down, on a board and hold it at the tail end. Using a serrated knife, make a nick between the skin and flesh at this end. Pulling the skin hard towards you, slide the knife away from you in a sawing motion – the skin will come away easily in one piece. Put the fish, milk, onion and bay leaf in a shallow pan. Top with the butter wrapper, butterside down, and bring up to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave for about 7 minutes, until the flesh is firm.
Lift the fish out of the pan and put it on a plate. Strain the milk into a jug. Press down on the fish with your finger, and watch the fish separate into perfect flakes. Check for any stray bones and discard them.
Melt the butter in a medium pan and stir in half of the flour with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, stir vigorously, then cook for 30-60 seconds over a gentle heat, stirring. Repeat with the remaining flour. Now stir in the hot milk, in stages.
Scrape the sauce into a bowl and whisk in the egg yolks – the warmth of the sauce makes it absorb the yolks better. Now whisk in two-thirds of the gruyère, which will melt into the sauce. Switch back to using the wooden spoon and gently fold in the fish to retain the whole flakes. Now’s the time to taste it as everything’s in except the egg whites, which are neutral. Grind over salt and black pepper and fold in.
Whisk the egg whites in a metal bowl with a balloon whisk until they form stiff peaks, then fold into the warm sauce with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. Liberally butter 4 or 6 small gratin dishes (measuring 20 x 11.5cm across the top). Lay a pancake in each dish so that half lines the base and the other half overhangs. Divide the soufflé between the pancakes and flip over the overhanging halves to loosely enclose. Preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5.
Bring the cream to the boil in a pan, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining gruyère and season. Ladle the sauce over the pancakes and top with the Parmesan. Stand the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the mixture has risen and the top is browned.
Comments, questions and tips