Haddock Florentine
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For Pan Seared Haddock
- 1.5 pounds (680 g) haddock fillets - skinless – cut longer fillets into halves or thirds. (Note A)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - or any cooking oil
- 3 tablespoons (23 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Florentine Sauce
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic - finely minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (473 ml) whole milk
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese - cut into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- 6 cups (180 g) baby spinach - packed cups
- ½ cup (55 g) sun-dried tomatoes - sliced or chopped, drained (Note B)
- lemon slices or wedges - optional, plus some lemon zest
Instructions
- To make florentine sauce, first melt butter over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Then add garlic, sauté 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir 1 more minute. Slowly add milk while whisking until the mixture looks smooth. Keep stirring until it very slightly thickens – about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add cream cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning next. As the cheese melts, use a whisk to smooth out the sauce and get rid of lumps.
- Toss in baby spinach in batches (one handful at a time) for easy mixing. Then add sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Cook 1 minute to let the spinach wilt a little, then turn the heat off. Cover the skillet to keep the sauce warm while you cook haddock next.
- Mix flour, salt and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pat dry haddock using kitchen paper towel. Sprinkle the flour mixture over haddock – use hands to coat evenly.
- In a separate skillet (preferably non-stick), heat olive oil on medium-high. Lay the fillets in– they should sizzle right away. Don't crowd the pan. Cook undisturbed 2 to 4 minutes on one side (depending on thickness). The fillets should release easily from the pan and have a golden hue. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes (internal temperature of 145°F / 63°C is the goal).
- Just before the fish is fully cooked, warm up the skillet containing spinach sauce on medium-low heat. Stir frequently and if the consistency looks too thick, add a splash of milk.
- To serve, put some florentine spinach sauce on a plate then place haddock piece(s) on top. Garnish with lemon slices/wedges and a sprinkle of lemon zest.
Notes
Note A: Haddock – Fresh or frozen, both work fine. If using frozen, thaw completely before you start cooking. Haddock fillets break apart easily, so cutting longer ones into halves or thirds makes the handling easier. I halved four long fillets (1.5 pounds total) to make 8 pieces.
Note B: Sun-dried tomatoes – Use the ones that come in jars, soaked in oil – not the dry ones in bags. Drain first, then chop/slice.