Hartlepool Natural Smoked Haddock “Cassoulet” with Haricot Beans and a Hawes Wensleydale Herb Crust

The delicious natural-smoked haddock, from Alan Hodgson’s fish merchants in Hartlepool, pale and firm in texture, deep and robust in flavour; a far cry from the milk-poached luminous yellow fillets I returned from school to encounter at my Nana’s in Whitby. The “Cassoulet” element is purely the introduction of haricot beans and herb crust, to describe the dish in that style. A very popular starter and good to tick over in the bottom of an Aga as a warming main course.