Smoked haddock and mornay sauce

It's traditional, certainly in the UK, to put fish with parsley sauce – can't say I'm enthusiastic. I immediately think of cod in parsley sauce which in turn makes me think of invalid food.

If you'd like an idea for a lunch, or a supper main course here's my latest.

As is usually the case with me, less is more - there are four elements to this dish – two of which can be made ahead.

This recipe is based on a light lunch for two or a generous supper for one.

Fish and Chips – sort of

300g/12oz of new potatoes, cooked and peeled

drizzle of rapeseed (Canola) oil

200g/8oz of smoked haddock – in two pieces

Mornay sauce – half the recipe given previously

110g/4oz of extra fine asparagus tips, snapped and then

trimmed to a similar size

Cook and peel the potatoes ahead. Cool and then cut into quarters, set aside.

Make the sauce ahead, cool and fridge.

Pre-heat oven 170fan/190c/Gas 5

This dish is based on frozen smoked haddock, cooked straight from the freezer. Clearly you can use fresh fish – the recipe is for speed and so long as it's good quality why not – if you have heaps of time to pop to the Fishmonger and buy fresh, even better.

Frozen smoked haddock will take 30 minutes. Place your fish in a foil tray or a small casserole. Add a drop of water and a knob of butter. On a separate baking sheet cut your potatoes into quarters, add a drizzle of rapeseed (Canola) oil, toss to cover and roast at the same time as the fish. Set your timer for 20 minutes.

Re-set your timer for the remaining 10 minutes cooking time. Warm a griddle pan for the asparagus – oil the asparagus, not the pan – all that will happen if you oil the pan is that the oil will sink into the grooves and will burn.

Warm the mornay sauce, gently on a low heat. Warm a large bowl too!

Here it is ...