Smoked haddock and leek chowder with quail eggs
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Smoked haddock and leek chowder with quail eggs
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
- 8-12 quails’ eggs
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 400ml fish or vegetable stock
- 550g skinless, boneless smoked haddock fillets
- 500ml milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Step by step
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Melt the butter in a pan, add the leeks, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, cook the quails’ eggs in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain them.
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Add the diced potato and stock to the softened leeks and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potato pieces are tender. Meanwhile, put the haddock in a frying pan, cover with the milk, add the bay leaf and simmer gently, covered, for 8-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
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Drain the fish (make sure you keep the milk). Flake the fish and peel and halve the quails’ eggs. Add the poaching milk and the flaked fish to the pan of potatoes and leeks. Simmer together briefly, then stir in the chopped parsley and some freshly ground black pepper; check the seasoning. Serve the soup in warmed bowls, topped with the halved quails’ eggs. Serve with buttered soda bread.
TipIf you would like this to be a gluten-free recipe, please ensure that your stock is guaranteed gluten-free.
