The Ultimate Fish Pie
A handy and comforting dish that you can make ahead of time and have ready to be popped in a preheated oven. Perfect when everyone is coming and going. Serve with some steamed greens or a crisp salad.
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
120
MINUTES
Ingredients
For the potato topping
1.3kg potatoes
110g butter
30g cream
2 egg yolks
For the filling
400ml milk
300g fish, diced into bite-sized chunks (such as hake, monkfish, pollock, cod)
150g smoked fish, diced into bite sized chunks (such as haddock, coley or pollock)
70g butter
1 leek, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
70g plain flour
350ml fish stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
Using a fork, prick the potatoes all over and place on a roasting tray. Bake for 45- 65 minutes or until a knife glides through the potato without any resistance.
Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before cutting in half and scooping out all the cooked inner flesh. Mash the potatoes. In a small saucepan warm the cream and butter until melted and add to the potatoes. Season with sea salt. Fold the egg yolks through and set aside.
To make the filling, add the milk to a medium-sized saucepan and place on a medium heat to warm. Once warmed, add the diced fish and smoked fish to poach.
Cook for 4 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Carefully remove the fish from the milk using a slotted spoon and set aside.
In a separate medium-sized saucepan cook the leek and garlic in butter for 4 minutes.
Add the plain flour and mix well. Slowly add the still warmed milk to the pot mixing all the time to prevent lumps.
Add the fish stock and cook for 8 minutes to thicken.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped herbs, mustard and lemon zest. Season to taste. Add the poached fish to this sauce and place in an 8.5 x 11.5-inch oven dish.
Top with the enriched mashed potatoes and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/gas 4 for 30 minutes.
