POTATO TOP
800g/1¾lb floury potatoes (Maris Pipers are perfect)
1tsp salt
80g/⅓ cup butter
100ml/scant ½ cup milk
1tbsp chopped tarragon
1tbsp chopped parsley
PIE FILLING
60g/¼ cup butter
60g/scant ½ cup plain/ all-purpose flour
300ml/1¼ cups milk
250ml/1 cup fish or vegetable stock
Salt and white pepper
1tsp English mustard
200g/7oz smoked haddock
200g/7oz salmon
200g/7oz cod
150g/5½oz peeled raw prawns/shrimp
200g/1⅔ cups frozen peas
It took a while for me to come around to fish pie – I wrote it off early on after tasting only flavourless and mushy versions. It was game changing to discover that putting the fish and peas into the white sauce raw ensures you don’t end up with overcooked fish when you finally take it out of the oven. Play around with whatever combination of fish works for you; I like the contrast in textures and flavours that a mix of smoked fish, oily fish, white fish, and shellfish provides.
Serves 6
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/400F/gas 6. Peel the potatoes and chop into evenly sized chunks. Place in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add the salt, then simmer for 10 minutes until soft. Drain, then mash while still hot. Add the butter and milk, and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
2. For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan, and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes, and then gradually whisk in the milk. Add the stock, and continue stirring over a moderate heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take off the heat and season with salt, pepper, and the mustard.
3. Chop the fish into equal chunks. Stir the fish, prawns, and frozen peas through the sauce, then pour it into a pie dish or small roasting tin. Stir the chopped herbs through the cooled mash, and spoon it over the filling. Scrape a fork through the potato to create an uneven surface.
4. Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown on top.