“You said something about finnan haddock, but you wouldn’t like it in the bedroom. It leaves a smell. I’m giving it to you for your supper, creamed on toast.”

Agatha Christie, Sleeping Murder

There’s something very comforting about Agatha Christie….when the world seems to be falling apart around you the best solution is a cup of tea and a good easy read. And there’s something very comforting too about this supper, or lunch dish.

Listen to the soothing Miss Marple music at the bottom of this post while you put this snack together. Not bad with whisky!

Leftovers can be blended together to make a pâté.

Recipe for creamed haddock on toast

Serves 3

Ingredients

• 300 ml/1¼ cups milk
• 60 ml/¼ cup/4 tbsps double cream
• 60 ml/¼ cup/4 tbsps yoghurt (I use The Collective)
• A couple of Indonesian long peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves
• 1 onion
• 370g/13 oz smoked haddock fillets
• 50g/2 oz butter plus more for buttering the toast
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 large slices of rye bread
• A pinch of Urfa pepper flakes (or freshly ground black pepper)
• A few chives

Method

1. Peel and chop the onion. Put it together with the butter in a medium saucepan and fry very gently.
2. Meanwhile, poach the fish in the milk and bay leaves and peppercorns – bring to the boil and then simmer for just a minute or two. Take off the heat and leave for about five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, stir the flour into the onion and butter, and cook for three or four minutes.
4. As soon as it is cool enough lift the fish out of the milk and flake it into a small bowl.
5. Take the peppercorns and bay leaves out of the milk, and then slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, stirring all the time to avoid lumps.
6. Make the toast and butter it.
7. Add the flaked fish to the white sauce and continue to warm through. Add the cream and yoghurt and warm that through too.
8. Top the toast with the creamy fish, snip over some chives, grind over some pepper – or even better, scatter over some Urfa pepper flakes.
9. Serve!

Music to cook to

Soundtrack music from the Joan Hickson series of Miss Marple mysteries.