Arnold bennett - have you made it?

[creative]

I have recently come across this interesting sounding recipe (on a cookery programme). For those that do not know, essentially it is poached smoked haddock in a sauce (white or hollandaise), placed on top of an omelette and grilled with cheese. (The haddock is poached in milk or creme fraiche which is then used to make the sauce).

Has anyone tried this? Did you like it? I am wondering if it is overich/sickly. To compensate this, making a hollandaise sauce is said to be better than a white sauce, adding some piquancy. Thereagain hollandaise sauce is very rich and fatty.... I also think parmesan might be true strong (given that smoked haddock is also strong) so was thinking of maybe a mature cheddar.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Sounds like an interesting recipe. I've never made it, but I would sure try it.

Truthfully, the cheese sounds like the odd-man-out in this recipe. If I were to make it, I would probably omit it altogether or use a very mild cheese, such as cream cheese or neufchatel, which I know work well with other smoked fishes (for example, when making a smoked salmon spread).

 

[creative]

Good point. I might contemplating trying it without the cheese (finished off under the grill to melt it).

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Nope, never heard of Arnold Bennett, apparently he was a famous author.

From wiki, the quick encyclopedia-- "Bennett is one of a select number of celebrities to have a dish named after them. While he was staying at the Savoy Hotel in London, the chefs perfected an omelette incorporating smoked haddock, Parmesan cheese and cream, which pleased the author so much he insisted on it being prepared wherever he travelled. The 'Omelette Arnold Bennett' has remained a Savoy standard dish ever since. It is served in several other hotels and restaurants in London as well. "

What we did have is fish cooked, probably Boiled, in milk gravy. Walleye if my dad caught some in winter in his ice fishing house, or filleted northerns. Otherwise, about the only fish we bought was probably frozen ocean perch. Served with mashed or boiled potatoes, the fish gravy spooned on this too. A pat of butter added in there somewhere. White wonder bread or "homemade bread" baked from frozen dough. I am trying to picture a vegetable alongside and am coming up empty. Very scandanavian, my dad liked this a lot. White on white on white. Actually, it was pretty tasty.

I do not usually combine cheese with fish/ seafood dishes, no reason really. I think if one made this dish and topped it with some parm or other cheese, and run it under the broiler for a few minutes, this might be pretty good. I'd have to do the omelet alongside. I admit I like McDonald's fish sandwich (with cheese), about once per year.