Recipe: The Crown at Woodbridge

prepared by Stephen David of The Crown at Woodbridge

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g undyed smoked haddock in 4 portions – Pinney's of Orford12 spears of thick asparagus, removing woody ends6 rashers of unsmoked Suffolk streaky bacon – Lane Farm's of BrundishBalsamic vinegar – Aspall's Rapeseed oil – Hillfarm of Heveningham4 duck eggsBoiling water80ml cider vinegar – Aspall's600g baking potatoes, baked and cooled75g white onion, finely sliced100g butter125g sea kale or savoy cabbage, finely shreddedSamphire, sea purslane and watercress, a handful of each, washed and drained well100g cauliflower, cut into mini florets100g leek, diced smallHandful grated Suffolk Gold cheese1 small tub cr�me fra�che - Marybelle 1 tsp smooth Suffolk mustardFull fat milk Sea salt and black pepper mill3 lemons, juicedChopped chives

Method

Bubble ‘n’ squeak cakes: Fry onion gently in 50g of melted butter until softened; add the cabbage, stir and put on a lid, turn up heat and cook until cabbage has wilted, stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Halve cooked potatoes and scoop out flesh. Mash with a fork, season well to taste and mix in the cabbage. Bring together and take a large tablespoonful. Roll into a ball with floury hands and flatten into a cake on a floured board, dusting both sides lightly with flour. Repeat, put all on to a floured plate and chill for 20 minutes to firm up. Heat some butter in a wide frying pan over a medium heat, once starting to bubble, gently place in the cakes. Leave for a few minutes until starting to brown and turn over gently to cook the other side. Flip as necessary until a good brown colour is achieved on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper.Cauliflower cheese part one: Blanch cauliflower for two minutes in boiling water and then remove and drop into iced water; followed by the leeks for one minute similarly; drain, gently mix together and reserve on one side.Haddock: Pre-heat oven to 200c. Put fish portions on an oiled sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, timing accurately. Put an oiled baking sheet in oven and start asparagus. Asparagus: Stretch bacon with the back of a heavy knife carefully to make it thinner. Wrap each spear with half a rasher. Place on to the hot tray and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Place in oven for 6-8 minutes until asparagus is tender. Put fish and asparagus somewhere warm once cooked.Salad: Whisk up 5 parts of rapeseed oil to the quantity of lemon juice, season and set aside. The poached eggs and cauliflower cheese need preparing at the same time. Warm four dinner plates.Cauliflower cheese part two: Empty cr�me fraiche into a small saucepan, stir in a good splash of milk and mustard. Heat and stir until steaming, sprinkle in the cheese slowly whilst beating. Keep heating and stirring, adding more milk if needed to get a pouring consistency and season well to taste. Fold in the vegetables and heat until very hot whilst gently stirring. Check flavour and adjust.Poached eggs: Bring a litre of boiling water and the cider vinegar to the simmer in a wide deep frying pan. Crack each duck egg carefully into separate cups. Create a whirlpool in the water carefully with a whisk. Slide in eggs in separate places quickly and continue to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper and a tea towel. Season to taste.To serve:On each plate, place haddock in the centre with a poached egg on top and a bubble cake to one side. Scatter around 3 spears of asparagus. Ladle the cauliflower cheese equally over the top of each plate and scatter with chives to finish. Quickly toss leaves with a good splash of dressing and serve the salad separately. Enjoy!To accompany:Not an easy dish to match wine with, a lot of richness and different flavours with unfriendly bedfellows for vinous harmony in asparagus and eggs. So I am going off-road and challenge you with two Suffolk wine-free bottles instead for your dinner party. Two definite fishy friends are Adnams Innovation, an American IPA styled beer full of grapefruit and tropical fruit notes and Aspall’s Dry Premier Cru Cyder. Cheers!