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Heat the grill to high. Put each haddock fillet in an individual heatproof dish, spoon over the creme fraiche and spread it out loosely but evenly to cover the fish.
Season generously with black pepper and a dash of Tabasco, then grate over a good amount of parmesan – there’s no point in trying to give a precise amount, so just give it a good, generous grating to taste. Next, grate over a light covering of comté, then put both dishes in the oven on a shelf that’s about two-thirds of the way down from the grill.
Close the door and leave to cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the cream is bubbling and the cheeses have started to colour in places. Check that the fish is cooked through – if it isn’t, just cook for a little longer. Put two napkins on two plates and carefully lift the dishes from the oven and on to the plates.
Take to the table (or sofa) and serve with buttered peas or a green salad.
Notes
Choose your smoked haddock carefully: you want large, thick fillets of undyed fish. Stating the obvious, here, but a good fishmonger will have this; a supermarket never. The creme fraiche must be a French, naturally soured cream, too, becausethe cheaper English versions coagulate when heat is applied, resulting in an unpleasant, watery gunk. If you want to give this a little extra jazz, slice two leeks into rounds, cook them in butter for about 20 minutes until completely soft and all the liquid has evaporated, and add some sliced cooked waxy potatoes to heat through for the last few minutes. Spread this mixture across the base of the two dishes before adding the fish and building up as below.