Salmon and haddock stuffed baked potatoes

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Salmon and haddock folded into the mash

Salting to crisp the skins

Delia Smith, Radio Times article, 1985

Seeing Delia Smith talk about her first ever television recipe gave me the idea to try this version. Nothing very elaborate, just made from the fish what was knocking around at the time.

Ingredients

• 2 very large baking potatoes (Cara, Estima, King Edwards, Marfona, Maris Piper, Vivaldi)
• Olive oil
• Table salt
• 1 small haddock fillet
• 1 small salmon fillet
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 4 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mise en place

• Prick the potatoes all over with a fork to make 100's of pin-holes to allow the potato to lose water from the surface and crisp when baking.
• Using your hands, rub a teaspoon of olive oil all over the potatoes
• Rub a few tablespoons of table salt over the potatoes so the salt sticks to the surface. Don't worry, it will all be removed before cooking.
• Leave in a sieve for 3 or 4 hours if you can. You can omit this if you don't have the time, it just makes for the best baked potatoes!
• Preheat the oven to 220° C (425° F - gas 7)

Method

1. Quickly wash the salt off the potatoes and pat them dry.
2. Bake for about an hour in the oven.
3. When cool enough to handle, halve and scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl with the butter, ground fennel seeds, chopped capers and then mash to your desired consistency.
4. Meanwhile place the fish, skin on, in a frying pan add a cup of milk top up with a little water if needed to just cover the fish.
5. Poach for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. The salmon should only just be cooked at the thickest point. By this time the haddock will be cooked.
6. Allow to cool and then remove the skin and any pin-bones. Discard the poaching liquid.
7. Flake the fish into the mash and gently fold in, keeping some chunks.
8. Season to taste, for an extra fishy flavour, add a splash of nam-pla.
9. Spoon the mixture back into the cooked potato skins and sprinkle with grated cheese.
10. If the mash mixture is still warm then finish off under a slow grill, or if the mixture has cooled, bake for 25 minutes at 160° C (325° F - gas 3) and then finish the cheese with a short grill.

Variations

Chopped chives and parsley would be good in season, as would a little soured cream, although it's quite rich already.