Fisherman's Pie

Prep time

20 minutes

Cooking time

25 minutes

Servings

4

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Thanks to our Fish Friday fishmongers Veasey and Sons for supplying this tasty fish pie recipe.

Ingredients

For the mashed potato top

1 kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled
50g/2oz butter
100g/3.5oz creme fraiche
3tbsp milk
Freshly ground pepper and salt to season

For the filling

50g/2oz frozen peas
1tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 lemon, zest only
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 bag (500g) Veasey and Sons mixed fish 
100g/3.5oz raw king prawns (peeled and de-veined)
1 large white onion
1 leek, washed and chopped
2 boiled eggs, quartered (optional). If freezing - see Freezer Tip below. 

For the sauce

500ml/1 pint milk
55g/2oz butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp plain flour
Salt and white pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1 small tsp Dijon mustard

Method 

1. Cut the potatoes into 5cm/2in chunks and boil until soft, which will take around 12 miutes. Drain and mash with the butter, creme fraiche and warm milk. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
2. The sauce is a basic flavoured bechamel - to make it, heat the milk in a large pan. Cut the onion in half, make an incision in one of the halves and insert the bay leaf. Push the cloves into the same onion half and place this into the pan with the milk. Bring the milk up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Chop the remaining half onion and the leeks. Heat the butter with olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the onion and the leek for 4 - 5 minutes to soften.
4. Remove the milk from the stove and set aside to cool slightly after straining the onion, bay leaf and cloves from it.
5. Add the flour to the leeks and stir well to combine. Heat for one minute, stirring frequently. Gradually pour in the milk and stir in well each time. Add all the milk and heat gently until the sauce is thickened. It should be good and thick as any liquid from the fish will thin it.
6. Add the mustard and taste the sauce for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if necessary but remember - you can add but never take away.
7. Fold in the fish pie mix along with the raw prawns and frozen peas and simmer gently on a low heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the chopped parsley, chives and lemon zest. Add the egg if using (if freezing - see Freezer Tip).
9. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof pie dish and carefully top with the mashed potato - use a fork to rough up the topping.
10. Put the dish onto a baking tray and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Push the boat out for fresh fish (blog/interview with Veasey and Sons)

Fish Friday at Holwood Farm - hook up with Veasey and Sons at their fresh fish stall