Fish pie

SERVES 2

POACHED FISH

125–150 g (4½–5½ oz) fillet of white-fleshed fish (such as ling, perch, blue eye cod, flathead), skin off

1 large ocean trout fillet, skin on

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) milk

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) La Chouffe or saison ale

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ leek, white part only, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

6 raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails left on

8 scallops, with roe

25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

25 g (1 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

a squeeze of lemon juice

40 g (1½ oz/¹/₃ cup) grated cheddar cheese, or for extra character use a smoked cheese

a pinch of ground white pepper

3 potatoes, peeled and each cut into eight pieces

milk, cream and extra unsalted butter, for making mashed potatoes

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Firstly, poach the fish. Place all the fish fillets in an ovenproof rectangular dish and pour the milk and beer over them. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then scatter the tarragon over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the fish is soft and flaking. Remove the fish, reserving the poaching liquid. Remove and discard the skin from the ocean trout. (I leave it on for the poaching process as it adds extra flavour to the poaching liquid.) Break the fish into large flakes, set aside in a covered bowl and keep warm. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7).

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the leek, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes, until softened and slightly coloured. Stir in the prawns and scallops, then continue to fry until the prawns and scallops are just cooked. Remove from the heat.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is foaming, add the flour and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring to cook the flour taste out of the roux. Add the reserved poaching liquid a little at a time, whisking until it is well combined and the sauce begins to thicken. Add the mustard and continue to stir over the heat until the sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and cheese and stir until the cheese is well melted. Season with the white pepper and taste to see if you need to season with salt (the cheese will have added some saltiness to the sauce). Remove from the heat.

Bring the potato pieces to the boil in a saucepan of salted water. Cook until tender, then drain. Mash the potato over gentle heat, adding a little milk, cream and extra butter until you have the texture you require – you want the mash to be creamy, buttery and slightly firm.

Put the poached fish in a deep ovenproof pie dish with the prawns, scallops and vegetables and give it a bit of a mix. (Alternatively, this recipe will make two individual pies in ramekins with a diameter of about 12 cm/4½ inches.) Pour enough white sauce over to just cover the mixture – you might not need all of it. Give the mixture a gentle toss so the sauce sinks right through to the bottom of the dish.

Gently cover the entire top of the pie with the mashed potato, scraping the mash over the side of the dish as well, so as to seal the top. Scrape a fork over the top of the mash to create a rough texture. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the potato topping browns and crisps a little. Serve hot.

Beer Notes

La Chouffe is a golden-blonde ale style from the Achouffe Brewery in Belgium, and saison is a French farmhouse-style ale. If you can’t find either of these, use a Belgian-style wit beer such as Wicked Elf Witbier, Feral White, Holgate White Ale or Hoegaarden Original White Ale