Mary Berry Cod Mornay Food

COD MORNAY

Steps:

• Add a little vegetable oil to a large frying pan and throw in the chopped shallots. Cook for 10-15 five minutes or until they're nice and soft; you don't want them to colour just soften.
• Now add the spinach and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg - it will look like you have far too much spinach but trust me once it wilts, it'll be fine. Keep the spinach moving about in the pan and once it's wilted (a minute or two) turn off the heat and leave to one side.
• In another (much smaller frying pan) heat up the 250ml of milk and then put the cod in along with a bay leaf and the peppercorns; you'll know when the cod is cooked as it will begin to show signs of flaking.
• Don't overcook the fish as it's going into the oven. Remove the cod from the milk, but keep the milk for making the sauce.
• Put the cod onto a plate and use a fork to break it up. It will naturally fall into flakes quite easily. Don't mush it up, keep those flakes of cod looking good!
• Now peel and very thinly slice (2mm) seriously they need to be thin or they won't cook, so it's best to use a mandolin slicer.
• Lay the potatoes in a shallow dish with a little water and cover with cling film, make a couple of holes and pop it into the microwave for about 1 minute.
• Give the potatoes a stir and back into the microwave for another minute or so - the exact time will depend on your microwave and how thinly you sliced those potatoes. They need to be pretty much cooked as they won't have time to cook properly once they are in the oven.
• *Time to make the sauce - see below*
• In a medium-sized saucepan add the butter and once it's melted add the flour.
• Cook for a minute or so whilst stirring with a wooden spoon, if you don't cook the flour your sauce will taste floury and will be lumpy.
• Add the milk you reserved earlier when you poached the cod, add it a little at a time stirring all the while.
• Now add the mustard and the 220ml of milk, stirring continuously on the heat until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken.
• Add a pinch of salt and turn down to a simmer and cook for around 5 minutes - you will need to keep stirring.
• Remove the sauce from the heat, find the 3 peppercorns and discard.
• Stir in the grated Gruyere cheese until you have a nice thick but smooth sauce. If you really need to you can add a tiny bit more milk.
• To finish the cod mornay, butter a 10-inch gratin dish or similar.
• Do a layer of potatoes and season lightly with salt and pepper, then add the spinach followed by the rest of the potatoes.
• Now add the fish and top with the rest of the sauce.
• Sprinkle the top with the panko crumbs and add a handful of Cheddar cheese.
• Bake on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for about 40 minutes, check that everything is piping hot and serve with some nice peas.

SMOKED HADDOCK GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the spinach in a large colander in a sink and carefully and slowly pour over a kettleful of hot water to wilt it. Cool again under the cold tap then squeeze out as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Butter a medium gratin dish. Roughly chop the spinach and scatter evenly over the base of the dish. Season the spinach lightly with salt and pepper and lay the haddock fillets, skinned side down on top. Nestle the tomatoes among the haddock fillets.
• Mix all the ingredients for the topping, except the breadcrumbs, in a small bowl and season with lots of pepper and a little salt. Dollop and spread the mixture over the fish and spinach. Scatter everything with the breadcrumbs and bake for 30 mins until bubbling and golden. If you like things really grilled finish for a few mins under a hot grill. Serve straight from the dish.

CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI MORNAY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175°C.
• Blanch broccoli and cauliflower florets in boil water for a minute and then drain and refresh under cold water.
• Put into a small casserole dish (mine is 1 quart/1 litre).
• For the Cheese Sauce melt butter in a small pot over medium heat and then add flour and cook for 2 minutes and then add the warm milk and whisk, once all lumps are removed you can use a wooden spoon, cook till thicken and then take of the heat and add the 1/2 cup cheddar and stir till melted.
• Mix up the second 1/2 up of cheddar and mozzarella.
• Pour cheese sauce over the cauliflower and broccoli and then sprinkled the mixed cheeses over and put in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

ENGLISH FISH MORNAY

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pan, fry the onions until tender (about 2 minutes).
• Add the flour and cook for a full minute, add the milk and milk. Reduce the heat and whisk. Add the mustard and mix through.
• Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes stirring carefully. Add the cream and pour into a well buttered pie plate or shallow ceramic baking dish.
• Top with the potato topping very carefully in small spoonfuls (so it doesn't sink to the bottom).
• Top with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 40 minutes at 180oC (360F).
• Serve with bread and butter and steamed seasonal veggies.
• To make topping:.
• Mash the potatoes in a large bowl with the milk and butter. I like to use my hand beater to get it really smooth.