Ballycotton Fish Pie

MANY different types of really fresh fish may be used for a fish pie, so feel free to adapt this recipe a little to suit your needs. Periwinkles would be a good and cheap addition and a little smoked haddock is tasty also.

Serves 6-8

2½ lbs (1.25kg) fillets of cod, haddock, ling, hake, salmon or pollock or a mixture, skinned Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pint (600ml) full cream milk and a very little cream (optional) 1-2 slices onion 3 or 4 slices of carrot 1 small bay leaf A sprig of thyme 3 peppercorns 18 cooked mussels (optional) Roux made with 1 oz (30g) butter and 1 oz (30g) flour 4 hard boiled eggs ½ oz (15g) butter 4oz (120g) onion, chopped 6ozs (170g) sliced mushrooms, preferably flat 2 tbsp chopped parsley 2 lbs (900g) fluffy mashed potato or Champ

Accompaniment: Parsley and anchovy or garlic butter (optional)

Cut the fish into 5-6 oz (140-170g) chunks. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put the onion, carrot, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns into the milk, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. Strain. (This step is optional but adds extra flavour to the milk).

Wash the mussels (if using), put into a shallow pan in a single layer, cover and cook over a medium heat just until the shells open – 3 or 4 minutes approx. Cool.

Meanwhile, hard boil the eggs for 10 minutes in boiling salted water, cool and shell.

Sweat the onion in a little melted butter on a gently heat until soft but not coloured, remove to a plate.

Increase the heat, sauté the sliced mushrooms in the hot pan, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and add to the onions.

Put the fish into a wide sauté pan or frying pan, in a single layer, cover with the flavoured or plain milk.

Don’t use more than 4 ozs of smoked haddock unless you want the smoky flavour to predominate. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer gently until the fish is just cooked – no more than 3-4 minutes. Remove the fish carefully with a slotted spoon, carefully removing any bones or skin.

Bring the liquid to the boil and thicken with roux (see recipe), add a little cream (optional) and the chopped parsley, roughly chopped hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, onions, chunks of fish and the mussels. Stir gently, taste and correct the seasoning.

Spoon into 1 large or 6-8 small dishes and pipe fluffy mashed potato or Scallion Champ on top. The pie may be prepared ahead to this point.

To reheat, put into a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 10-15 minutes approx. if the filling and potato are warm, or 30 minutes approx. if reheating from cold. Flash under the grill if necessary to brown the top. Serve with garlic or parsley butter (see recipes on the left).

Roux

4 ozs (110 g) butter 4 ozs (110 g) flour

Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Use as required. Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred. It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.