Smoked Haddock and Rice Bake on the evening Before Election Day!!

We had a lovely Smoke haddock and Rice Bake last night made from a little left over rice that I still had from my delicious Sunday lunch. It is a good idea to always cook a little more rice than you need and try and create something from it the next day.....I'm thinking rice pudding, rice salad, a quick version of paella and I am sure you have a few ideas of your own! I remember this haddock dish from my days at teachers college! It was a standard once a week and I loved it!!! You will need:

Smoked Haddock and Rice Bake

Ingredients

500gr smoked haddock
1 liter of milk
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1 small onion
2 heaped tbsp flour
80gr butter
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese- grated
2 mature cheddar cheese-grated
2 cups left over rice
paprika

Method

Place the haddock fillets in a pot and cover with the milk. Stick the clove into the peeled onion and add the bay leaf and the onion to the milk. Simmer the fish until it is done, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the fish and flake with a fork. Strain the milk and keep in a jug.Discard of the onion and bay leaf. Use the same pot and make a bechamel sauce with the butter, flour and milk......use a little more milk if your sauce is too thick! Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Season the sauce with salt and a little pepper! Now simply layer the rice, fish, mozzarella cheese and then the bechamel sauce in a big ovenproof dish or make individual portions as I have done. Top with some more grated cheddar and a sprinkling of paprika. Bake until bubbly and serve with a simple green salad!

Today is election day here in SA and it is estimated that about 80% of South Africans are going to make their way to the voting stations. It is the biggest and most important elections since 1994 when the ANC became the leading party in SA and Nelson Mandela became our president. Keep us in your prayers today and for those of you living in South Africa, get up now and go and vote!!!!!