• 450 g/1 lb smoked haddock fillet
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• few stalks parsley
• bay leaf
• 6 dl/1 pint water
• salt and a few peppercorns
• 15 g/½ oz powdered gelatine
• freshly milled pepper
• juice of ½ lemon
• 3 dl/½ pint double cream

Cut the smoked haddock into pieces and slice the hard-boiled eggs. Set the eggs aside for the decoration of the mould. Place the onion, carrot, parsley stalks, bay leaf and water in a saucepan. Add a seasoning of salt and a few peppercorns. Bring up to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add the pieces of haddock, re-cover and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes or until the haddock is cooked. Lift the pieces of haddock out of the pan and allow to cool. Then flake the flesh, removing all skin and any bones.

Boil up the fish liquid in the pan for a further 10 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavour. Strain and measure out 3 dl (½; pint). Place the gelatine in a bowl and allow to soak for a few minutes with about 4 tablespoons of the fish liquid. Add the remainder and return to the saucepan. Stir over low heat just long enough to make certain the gelatine has dissolved.

Measure out 3 tablespoons of the gelatine liquid and dilute it by adding 2 tablespoons water. Set the rest of the jelly aside to cool. Pour about half of the diluted jelly into a 20-cm (8-in) cake tin or 1-litre (1½-pint) mould. Chill until the jelly has set. Arrange the egg slices flat in a circle over the jelly, add the remaining diluted jelly and chill until the decoration has set firm.

Mix the remainder of the gelatine – now cooled – with the flaked haddock. Add lemon juice and freshly milled pepper to taste. Lightly whip the cream and fold into the mixture. Taste and check seasoning. Pour into the decorated mould and chill until set firm. To serve, unmould on a plate, so that the jelly top with the egg slices is uppermost.