Baked Haddock with Lentils, Mascarpone and Basil
This dish is a comforting one-pot wonder, as well as being extremely easy to make. Just serve it with some green vegetables on the side and you have a complete meal ready to go. You can use cod or hake instead of haddock - whichever is available to you. You can also use pre-cooked lentils.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 boneless haddock fillets (about 150g/5½oz each), skin removed
- 4 tbsp rock salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 250ml/9fl oz tomato juice
- 600ml/20fl oz good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
- 250g/9oz Puy lentils, rinsed well
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g/3½oz mascarpone
- 2 tbsp full-fat milk
- ½ lemon, grated zest only
- ½ bunch basil, leaves picked, to garnish
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the haddock fillets in a large wide bowl and cover with the rock salt. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes, then rinse the salt off under cold running water. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish. Add the onion, season well with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, followed by the tomato purée. Cook for 1 minute and then mix in the tomato juice and stock. Season again with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add the lentils, mix well, cover with a lid, or foil, and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Remove the casserole from the oven. Place the salted haddock fillets into the mixture, pressing them down with a spoon so they are almost submerged. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the fillets. Pop the lid back on and return the casserole to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, covered, until the fish has cooked through.
Place the mascarpone in a bowl with the milk, lemon zest and a pinch each of salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Dollop on top of the fish and lentils. Pop the casserole back in the oven for 2 minutes Garnish with the basil leaves and serve.
Find this recipe and many others in Marcus Everyday, by Marcus Wareing.
