Scrumptious Fish Pie

As the lighter nights begin to return and spring is on the horizon, unfortunately the cold weather still lingers around us. 

At a time such as this, a bowl of wholesome comfort food that delivers nourishing warmth to your body is key. 

Therefore I have picked out one of my favourite recipes which will do just the trick on days such as these. 

This fish pie is a delicious treat, simple to assemble and hugely satisfying. 

It’s suitable for any occasion and in preparation for a dinner party, can be made in advance the night before. 

For any lucky leftovers or forward thinking on future meals for the coming weeks ahead, this fish pie is suitable for the deep freeze. 

Serves 4 (generously)

 

Ingredients

 

I prefer to use mainly smoked fish for this dish, as the smoky aromas help to make the pie all the more flavoursome. You can use a variety of fish for this recipe; coley instead of cod, salmon to bring a little colour, scallops to provide a touch of luxury over prawns; as long as the fish is sustainably sourced, the choice is all yours.

200g undyed smoked haddock

200g undyed smoked cod

200g hake

200g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

Ensure the above are obtained from sustainable sources. Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin and bones.

1.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

A bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 lemon, juiced

200g peas (frozen are fine)

2tbsp Dijon mustard

1 pint whole milk

80g butter (plus extra 50g for the mash)

80g cornflour (plain flour is ok to use here)

3 bay leaves

1tsp grounded nutmeg

150g strong cheddar cheese, grated (gruyere is a good alternative cheese to use in this dish)

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Method

v  Preheat the oven to 200’C

v  Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and leave to simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes, until they soften and you can run a knife through them

v  Drain the potatoes and leave in a colander for a few minutes to dry off any excess water

v  Add the butter put aside for mashing and a good glug of olive oil and mash the potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and place to one  side

v  Put a good glug of olive oil into a pan and add the onions and garlic, cooking for 10 minutes until the onions have softened

v  Add the milk, lemon juice and bay leaves to the pan, allowing the milk to gently simmer

v  Carefully place all the fish, including the prawns into the pan, cover with a lid and poach for 5 minutes

v  Carefully remove the fish and as much of the onion as you can from the milk and place to one side (if the fishmonger hasn’t removed the skin and bones from the fish, now is the time to do so)

v  To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour and nutmeg to form a roux (or a paste)

v  Turn up the heat to medium and gradually stir in the milk. Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken

v  Remove the bay leaves from the sauce, add the Dijon mustard, the peas and season with salt and pepper

v  Cut each fish into 2cm pieces and sprinkle into an ovenproof dish, making sure that each type of fish is evenly scattered

v  Pour the sauce over the fish, again, making sure it is evenly distributed and until the dish is two thirds of the way full

v  Spread the mashed potato over the fish mixture and top with grated cheese

v  Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until crispy and golden.

v  Serve with seasonal vegetables and a large glass of Chablis.