Smoked Haddock Mornay
Flaked smoked haddock and wilted spinach in a rich cheese sauce, baked until golden and served with new potatoes.
Made with Cheese sauce. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.17 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Put the new potatoes in a pan of salted water and boil for 15 to 18 minutes until tender.
16 min 40 s - 2
Meanwhile, lay the haddock in a wide pan, pour over the milk and bring just to a simmer. Poach for 5 minutes, then lift out onto a plate. Keep the milk for thinning the sauce.
5 min - 3
Flake the fish into large chunks, checking for any stray bones. Put the spinach in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over it, then squeeze out all the water and roughly chop.
- 4
Warm your ready made cheese sauce (see the base recipe) in a pan. Stir in the lemon juice and the parsley, and thin with a few spoonfuls of the poaching milk until it coats a spoon.
- 5
Spread the spinach in a baking dish, scatter the haddock on top, then pour over the sauce and sprinkle with the cheddar.
- 6
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve with the drained new potatoes.
16 min 40 s
Tips
- Choose undyed smoked haddock, which looks pale and creamy rather than bright yellow, for a cleaner flavour.
- Squeeze the spinach really dry or the sauce will turn watery in the oven.
- Mornay is normally made with gruyere. Mature cheddar and a little parmesan is a good swap.
Storing and freezing
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a {t180} oven for 20 minutes until steaming hot all the way through. Freezing is not recommended, as the fish texture suffers.
Questions
What is the difference between mornay and cheese sauce?
Mornay is a French cheese sauce, a bechamel with gruyere stirred in. It is the same method as the British cheese sauce, which is usually cheddar based.
Can I use fresh haddock?
Yes. Poach unsmoked haddock the same way and add an extra pinch of salt. The dish will be milder, so add a little more mustard to the sauce.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble the dish up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until steaming hot in the middle.
More made with cheese sauce
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.