Fish Recipes

FISH PIE

Fish pie is a staple of British cuisine, not so much in the USA. It can be delicious if done properly. The prep time is long, so I often make up a batch of  'fish pie kits' for the freezer and then assemble them into individual pies on the day. This recipe is very adjustable, almost any two or more types of chunky fish can be used and the other ingredients can be adjusted to taste.

FISH PIE KIT (for freezing). Makes 8 individual pie kits.
1.5 lb (700g) Fresh Alaskan Cod or Halibut
 1 lb (450g) Wild Salmon
1/2 lb (225g) Shrimp (cooked or fresh or frozen), shelled
 Milk and water
1 cup (250 ml) Mayonnaise
 4 lb  (2kg) potatoes (in the U.S., Gold works best)
Bunch fresh Chives, chopped.
 2 tbsp (15g) butter
3 Bay Leaves
 Salt, Pepper
1 tbsp horseradish

METHOD

Put the bay leaves in a large frying or saute pan. Add the fish in a single layer. Add about 1/4 pint of milk mixed with 1/4 pint of water. The fish should be half immersed in the liquid, it's not necessary to cover it completely. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool for 10 minutes. The fish should be just cooked and flake easily. Discard the milk and move the fish to a plate to cool.

Meanwhile, make the mashed potato pie 'lids'. Cut the potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes until they are cooked through but still firm. Mash well, add the mayonnaise, butter, chopped chives, horseradish and salt and pepper to taste. Cream the potato mixture with a wooden spoon until it is silky smooth. Set aside to cool.

Chunk the fish and divide up into 8 portions then divide the shrimp equally between the portions. Freeze the portions separately in small baggies or containers. Form the mashed potato into 8 patties and open freeze them for 6-8 hours. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze until needed.

FISH PIE ASSEMBLY (ingredients are per individual pie, multiply as required).
Knob of butter (about 1/2 tbsp)
 1 tsp Dijon mustard or 1/2 tsp mustard flour
1/2 tbsp flour for a thicker sauce
 2 tbsp cream, creme fraiche or full fat Greek yoghurt
4 oz (120ml) milk, or milk & water for a lighter sauce Splash of Tabasco, to taste
Salt, pepper, paprika to taste
 2 tbsp of Italian parsley, chopped finely
1/2 cup frozen peas (to taste)
 1/2 cup frozen corn (to taste)
1/2 tsp capers, drained and chopped 2 green (spring) onions
Grated cheese to taste
 1 Jalapeno, deseeded and chopped finely

METHOD

Defrost the required number of fish portions and potato toppings in the fridge overnight. Melt the butter in a small pan and slowly stir in the mustard flour or Dijon mustard (for a thicker sauce, stir in 1/2 tbsp flour). Simmer for 2 minutes while stirring, remove from heat. Place each fish portion into an individual-size ovenproof  bowl (1 pint or more). Add the capers. green onions, jalapeno, parsley, peas and corn. Toss lightly to even out the filling. The filling should be at least 1" below the rim of the bowl.

Finish the sauce by stirring the milk and water slowly into the melted butter. Stir in the cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt. Add salt and pepper and Tabasco to taste. Transfer to a measuring jug. You should have about 4oz (120ml) of sauce per pie. Pour equal quantities of the sauce over each pie filling.

With your hands, squeeze any excess water out of the potato pattie(s) and flatten into round discs. Place a disc over the top of each filling and smooth out as much as possible to the edges of the bowl. Don't worry if the filling shows through here and there.

Preheat the oven to 375F (200C). Cover each pie with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes to an internal temperature of 165 deg F (75C). Serve in the same bowl with a side of vegetables if desired.

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