Leek, bean and smoked haddock stew

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced thinly into rings
• 200g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400ml milk
• 600ml fish, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 400g smoked haddock fillet, undyed
• 30g plain flour
• 1 x 195g tin of sweetcorn
• 2 x 400g tins white beans; drained and washed (you can use cannellini, butter or haricot beans)
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Method

1. Place a medium-sized saucepan or sauté pan on the stove and add the butter. Allow it to melt before adding the leeks and potatoes with a pinch of salt and a generous twist of pepper. Cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are soft.

2. Meanwhile, pour the milk and the stock into another pan with the bay leaf and add the fish. Bring to the boil before removing the fish from the poaching liquor. When cool enough to handle, flake the fish into chunks and remove and discard any skin.  Set the cooking liquor aside.

3. Add the flour and the sweetcorn to the leeks and potatoes and stir well. Cook the flour and sweetcorn for a few minutes before adding the hot poaching liquor. Mix well and bring to the boil.  Add the drained beans and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

4. Add the flaked fish to the stew and heat through.   Taste for seasoning. Stir in the chopped parsley and sprinkle with a little smoked paprika.  Serve with crusty white bread.  

Our thanks to www.britishleeks.co.uk for permission to use this recipe.