Fish Pie

 The fish, vegetable and white sauce filling for the pie.

 

We love a good fish pie, ideally with a mixture of smoked and oily fish with veggies in a white sauce, and topped with mashed potato. So when I found some smoked haddock at the supermarket, I quickly put together the other ingredients and made fish pie. Smoked haddock is a treat which I don't see very much here, so I was delighted. And when I do come across it, it is generally artisanal rather than industrial, so even more of a treat.

 

Ready for the oven.

 

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes, scrubbed, peeled (optional) and cut into 5 cm chunks

125 g butter (50 g for the mash, 50 g to sweat the veggies, and 25 g to dot on top)

1 tbsp olive oil

100 g cream

 500 ml milk (for making the sauce, but use 3 tbsp in the mash)

A pinch each of salt and ground white pepper

150 g smoked haddock

200 g salmon

An onion, sliced

A bay leaf

A leek, cleaned and sliced

A large carrot, cut into dice

100 g frozen peas

3 tbsp flour 

1 tbsp chopped fresh herb (optional, whatever you fancy, eg parsley)

A few drops of bottled lemon juice

Method

1. Turn the oven on and heat to 190°C.
2. Boil the potatoes, drain and mash with butter, cream, milk, salt and white pepper.
3. Skin the fish.
   
4. Bring the milk to boiling point in a large saucepan and add the fish, fish skin, half the onion, and bay leaf. 
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes.
6. Heat butter and oil in a large pan and soften the remaining onion, leek and carrot for 15 minutes, on low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
7. Using a fish slice remove the fish from the milk and set aside.
8. Add the flour to the veggies and mix it in well.
9. Cook on a low heat for several minutes.
10. Gradually strain the warm milk into the veggies, stirring constantly.
11. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
12. Add the frozen peas to the veggies in sauce.
13. Break the fish into chunks and gently incorporate into the veggies and sauce.
14. Pour the fish, veggies and sauce into a large deep oval pie dish.
15. Sprinkle herbs and lemon juice over the fish mixture.
16. Carefully cover the pie with mash, a spoonful at a time until the whole surface is thickly covered.
17. Go over the top with a fork to both even it out and ensure rough bits which will brown in the oven.
18. Dot the top with the remaining butter and place the dish on an oven tray because it will bubble up and over.
19. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
20. Serves six, with steamed broccoli.

 

Mash ready to dollop on top.