120g (4¼oz) lightly smoked haddock
300ml (1¼ cups) milk
6 tbsp double (heavy) cream
1 tbsp Meaux or grain mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
30g (2 tbsp) softened butter
4 eggs
1 tbsp snipped flat parsley leaves
Put the haddock and milk in a small saucepan, bring to the boil over a low heat, and then immediately take the pan off the heat. Leave the haddock to cool slowly in the milk; it will finish cooking as it does so.
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 325ºF/Gas 3. Drain the smoked haddock, remove the skin and flake the flesh. Heat the cream in a small pan. As soon as it comes to the boil, add the flaked haddock and take the pan off the heat. Stir in the mustard and season to taste. Keep at room temperature.
Brush the insides of 4 cocottes or ramekins, about 8 cm (3¼in) in diameter and 4 cm (1½in) deep, with softened butter, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the haddock and cream mixture between the cocottes. Carefully tip an egg into each one and bake until cooked to your liking.
Put a cocotte on each plate, sprinkle with snipped parsley and serve immediately.