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This is the perfect dish for doing so.
Photo: Joe Woodhouse
I often have Berkswell on the menu and so I end up with lots of bits and pieces.
Melting them in a gratin is the perfect solution.
Preheat the oven to 210C fan/450F/gas mark 8.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the onions and sweat down until softened but not coloredabout 10 minutes.
Add the fennel, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme.
Now add the white wine and bring to the boil.
Cook for a few minutes.
You want the liquid to be quite thick.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Check the seasoning again.
Season and sprinkle over a layer of Berkswell.
Keep on layering until the tray is full and all the mix is used up.
Finish with Berkswell so it will go brown and crispy on top.
Bake for around 40 minutes, until the fennel is completely cooked.
If it looks like it is getting too brown, turn down the heat.
Serve with a crisp, fresh, lemony salad.
I often use Parmesan, Lancashire, Cheddar, Ticklemore, blue cheese or a mix of these.
Smoked Haddock Fish Pie
Another of Loris favorites and a perfect dish for a cold day.
Along with serving lots of fresh food, we had several fridges full of prepared food.
Every week, I would make endless fish pies and cottage/shepherds pies.
I like to serve my fish pie with greens or a watercress salad.
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 160C fan/350F/gas mark 4.
The fish should be slightly undercooked as you will be cooking it again.
It should come away easily from the skin but still be a bit translucent.
Take out of the oven and remove the foil.
Strain the milk and keep in a saucepan to use later.
Place in a saucepan, cover with water and season.
Bring to the boil and cook until soft.
Drain in a colander and mash using a mouli.
At the same time, melt 50g/2oz of the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
Add the leeks, turn up the heat, and sweat until soft and sweet.
Peel and cut into quarters lengthwise.
Now make the bechamel.
If the fish poaching milk is not warm, warm gently over a low heat.
In another saucepan, melt the remaining 100g/31/2oz butter on a low heat.
Add the flour and, with a wooden spoon, stir continuously.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the flour has cooked out.
Add a couple of ladlefuls of the warm milk.
Whisk vigorously as the sauce will thicken straightaway.
Repeat until all the milk is incorporated.
Stir the whole time as the flour can burn on the base of the pan.
Bring slowly to the boil and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
Season and add the dill.
Preheat the oven to 205C fan/425F/gas mark 7.
Layer the leeks on the bottom, place the haddock on top.
Scatter the eggs over and season.
Drizzle over the lemon juice and ladle in the bechamel to cover the entire pie.
You might have a small amount of bechamel left over.
Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes.
Finish with the mash and use a palette knife to smooth down the mash.
Aubergine Parmigiana
Serves 4-6
This dish is a crowd-pleaser.
But people love it so much that I can put it on the menu at any time of year.
This is where the parmigiana comes in.
Even if its warm out, it never fails to c’mon.
Start by making the tomato sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
When warm, add the red onions, garlic, basil stalks, and season.
Cook until soft and sweetabout 15 minutes.
Season again and remove the basil stalks.
You want the sauce to thicken, reduce, and sweeten.
While the tomato sauce is cooking, fry the aubergines.
Once brown, turn over and brown the other side.
You may need to do this in batches, as you dont want to overcrowd the pan.
Once cooked, put the slices on kitchen paper to drain off all of the excess oil.
Preheat the oven to 210C fan/450F/gas mark 8.
To assemble, take a 20 x 28 x 6cm/8 x 11 x 212in rectangular gratin dish.
Start with a layer of aubergine slices, slightly overlapping them so they are tightly packed in.
Dot some mozzarella over, sprinkle with some Parmesan and scatter over some basil leaves.
Repeat until you have four layers, finishing with mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
Do not worry if you have sauce leftover, but everything else should have been used up.
Place in the oven, with a tray underneath if the dish is very full.
Cook for 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
Turn the oven down to 160C/350F/gas mark 4 and cook for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for ten minutes.
Serve with salad or, if you want to be really indulgent, with crispy potatoes.
I always make the parmigiana the day before and leave overnight in the fridge to set.
I then warm it again when ready to serve.
It is also equally delicious served at room temperature.
Roast until the aubergines have browned and are soft in the middle about 30 minutes.
