haddockI was very excited to find a small tub of Crème Fraîche d’Isigny Sainte-Mère at my local supermarket yesterday. My heart began to flutter, and I smiled like a kid at Christmas as I quickly grabbed that only jar and tucked it safely into my basket. It’s funny how I can get more excited about a tub of cream than a new pair of shoes.
For those who aren’t familiar, this is the mother of all creams. It has a velvety texture and a rich, slightly tart flavor. Once you’ve tried this crème fraîche, all others will just not cut it anymore.
So what did I make? A beautiful fish dish of line-caught Icelandic haddock served with steamed new potatoes and a silky, herbed crème fraîche sauce! Here’s the recipe!

Haddock with Herbed Crème Fraîche Sauce
Serves 4

  • 4 haddock fillets (approx. 150g each)
  • 3 tbsps flour
  • fleur de sel
  • freshly cracked pepper
  • 2 large knobs of good quality butter (it will make a difference, trust me!)
  • 1 tbsp mild olive oil
  • 200ml dry white wine
  • 3 rounded tbsps  Crème Fraîche d’Isigny
  • 3 tbsps chopped chives
  • 2 tbsps chopped flat leaf parsley

Dry the haddock fillets with kitchen paper and slash them on the skin a few times. Flour and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Once the butter is melted and bubbling a little, add the fillets skin-side down and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Flip them over and give them another 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm. Add the wine to the pan, scraping up all the bits at the bottom. Leave to bubble for a few minutes. Stir in the cream and herbs and allow to bubble for a few more minutes. Plate the fillets and divide the herbed cream sauce over them.