Fish mornay - winter comfort food. (Fish)

Member Name: Smyles

Product:	Fish
Date:	18/02/08 (859 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious, easy, something a little bit different.

Disadvantages: You have to be there to stir the sauce, does contain a little fat.

Fish mornay is a dish my mother used to cook when I was young, and I always enjoyed it - it's such great comfort food. So, it's strange that for years after I left home I simply never cooked it. I couldn't say why, I guess I just forgot about it. But recently I was getting totally bored of eating the same old things all the time, and that's when I remembered this old favourite and decided to bring it out for a bit of a comeback.

I do think Fish Mornay (or at least the more traditional way that I make it) is not the most sophisticated of dishes. I wouldn't probably cook this if I was having company for dinner, however on cold nights, or when you feel like a change, it's fantastic.

So, to make the basic recipe you'll need butter, flour, milk, cheese, tinned fish (tuna or salmon), vegetables of your choice, and flavourings (I use salt, pepper, and nutmeg).

First, simply start like you're making a basic white sauce. Put a generous scoop of butter in a pan on medium heat until it melts. Add enough flour to make a paste, then quickly add the milk, stirring constantly. Depending on how much you're making, you'll need at least 2 cups of milk. It is important to keep stirring the sauce so that you don't get lumps. Once the sauce is started to thicken, add your grated cheese. You can experiment with different cheeses - obviously something like a parmesan would give you a stronger flavour. I usually just use gouda.

Next stir in your drained, tinned fish, and essentially that is the basis of the fish mornay. But of course there are loads of extras you can add, in different combinations, to make the dish both more nutritious and tastier.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use it to use up almost whatever veges you have left in the fridge at the end of the week. Particular favourites of mine are green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots (veges should be chopped and boiled or steamed for a few minutes, until soft but still firm, before being added to the mornay). However, you can add pretty much anything.

Tinned products can also be added, such as kidney beans, or tinned corn. I also like hard boiling a few eggs and chopping these up to add in to the mornay just before serving, and frozen peas are also great as they give the dish a nice bit of colour.

In terms of seasoning, you will definitely want to add salt and pepper, and I usually use a few other spices too - especially if you're not using a strongly flavoured cheese. Nutmeg is fantastic with the white sauce, but paprika is also good.

To serve, you can ladle the mornay over bread or toast, eat it just as it is, or serve it over rice for a more substantial meal. It's nice to add something a little fresh on top such as sliced spring onions, or parsley. And voila! An easy, relatively healthy (especially if you load up on the veges and use low fat milk), delicious comfort food meal. Enjoy!

Summary: Experiment to find your own favourite combinations!