This is a recipe from Barnsley, originally published in Joan Poulson’s book, Old Northern Recipes (Yorkshire section). Cooking a whole fish in this way is not unique to Yorkshire, but if this is how it’s done in Barnsley, I’m not going to argue with them!

Ingredients (per fish)

• Fresh haddock (complete fish)
• 1 small onion
• mixed herbs
• 4-5 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
• Salt & pepper
• Butter or dripping
• Fish stock made from fish trimmings

Method

1. You can leave the head on, or cut it off, as you wish. If you remove the head, use it for stock, along with the fin trimmings,
2. Gut, clean and cut the fins off the fish. Rub well inside and out with salt.
3. Retain the trimmings (and head too, if you decide to remove it) to make a stock: boil and simmer the trimmings in a pint of water for 30 minutes
4. Cook the fish liver with finely chopped onion and chopped mixed herbs.
5. When onion is soft, add the breadcrumbs, seasoning and a little melted butter or dripping – add just enough to bind the mixture
6. Pack as much of the fried mixture as you can into the gutted fish, tie it up and put into a dish that has been previously greased and strewn with any remaining onion, herb and breadcrumb mixture
7. Cover the fish with small dabs of butter or dripping and enough fish stock to cover the mixture at the bottom of the dish
8. Bake for about 40 minutes, according to the size of the fish. Check that the stock does not dry out completely and add a little more if necessary.

Source: Joan Poulson. Old Northern Recipes (1975) Hendon Publishing Co.