Jack’s Simple Fish Pie

A Girl Called Jack

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/jacks-simple-fish-pie • Posted by Penguin

I love a fish pie but, when time is tight and I fancy something similar, I make fish in a white sauce and serve it with a pile of fluffy mash with cheese instead. Fancy restaurants would call that ‘deconstructed’ – I call it ‘quicker and easier’. This fish pie recipe below is a delicious midweek treat, and can be made in separate individual-sized portions to freeze. Serves 4–6

You will need

1 kg Potatoes , fresh or tinned 1 Large Onion 1 A handful of chopped Fresh Thyme 350 g Skinless river cobbler or other firm white Fish 350 g skinless smoked Haddock 300 ml Whole Milk , plus extra to mash the potatoes 4 Eggs 50 g Hard strong Cheese 30 g Butter , plus extra to mash the potatoes 2 tbsp Heaped Plain Flour 70 g Spinach leaves 1 A handful of Fresh Parsley

Project Budget

Time

Difficulty

Description

I love a fish pie but, when time is tight and I fancy something similar, I make fish in a white sauce and serve it with a pile of fluffy mash with cheese instead. Fancy restaurants would call that ‘deconstructed’ – I call it ‘quicker and easier’. This fish pie recipe below is a delicious midweek treat, and can be made in separate individual-sized portions to freeze. Serves 4–6

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

2. Wash and dice the potatoes (or drain if using tinned ones) and bring to the boil in a large saucepan of water. Reduce to a medium heat and cook until tender – 20 minutes for fresh potatoes, 5 minutes for tinned.

3. Meanwhile, poach the fish. Peel and slice the onion and put into a large sauté pan or saucepan with the thyme. Add the fish, cover with the milk, and poach on a low heat for around 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, take out the fish and onion pieces and place on a plate. Flake the fish with a fork. Reserve the poaching liquid to make the sauce with later. Boil or poach the eggs in a small saucepan for 6 minutes. Drain and carefully spoon on to the fish plate.

4. Check the potatoes – they should be very soft by now. When cooked, drain the potatoes and tip back into the saucepan. Mash with a little milk and butter. Grate the cheese into the mash and stir well to melt through.

5. Melt the butter in a milk pan over a low heat and add 1 tablespoon of the flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon to make a thick paste. Add the other tablespoon of flour and repeat. Now take a tablespoon of the reserved poaching liquid and stir it into the paste until well mixed in. Repeat, gradually adding more liquid, until blended together in a thick sauce. You may not need to use all the poaching liquid. Add the spinach, stir to wilt, then tip in the cooked eggs, mashing them with the back of a fork to break up. Add the onion then the flaked fish and mix everything together well to coat in the sauce.

6. Spoon the fish mixture into a large ovenproof casserole dish then top with the potato mash, starting at the edge of the dish and working inwards, using a fork to fluff up the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the mash is golden and crispy on top.