Luxury Smoked-fish Pie
Serve it with
some sprigs of watercress
for garnish, and I always think fish pie is lovely with fresh shelled peas.
Serves : 6
Ingredients:
8oz / 225g Undyed Smoked Haddock Fillet
2 Manx Boneless Kipper
Fillets
8oz / 225g Arbroath Smokies
8oz / 225g Smoked Salmon or Smoked Salmon Trimmings
15 floz / 425ml Whole Milk
1 Bay Leaf
6 Black Peppercorns
A Few Stalks Fresh Parsley
2oz / 50g Butter
2oz / 50g Plain Flour
5 floz / 150ml Single Cream
3 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Large Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
1 Heaped tbsp Salted Capers,
rinsed and drained
4 Cornichons (Baby Gherkins),
chopped
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
A Few Sprigs Fresh Watercress,
to garnish
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
FOR THE TOPPING:
2lb / 900g Desirée
Potatoes
2oz / 50g Butter
2 Level tbsp Crème
Fraîche
1oz / 25g Gruyère,
finely grated
1 Level tbsp Finely Grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
2.
First of
all arrange the haddock
in a baking tin, pour over the milk and add the bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley stalks, then
bake, uncovered, on a high shelf of the oven for 10 minutes.
3.
Meanwhile,
remove the skin from the kipper
fillets and skin
and bone the Arbroath
smokies – the flesh will come off very easily.
4.
Then chop
them into 2 inch / 5cm pieces, along with the smoked salmon, if the
slices are whole, then place all the prepared fish in
a mixing bowl.
5.
Next, when
the haddock is
cooked, strain off the liquid and reserve it, discarding the bay leaf, parsley stalks and peppercorns.
6.
Then, when
the haddock is cool
enough to handle, remove the skin and flake the flesh into largish pieces,
adding it to the bowl to join the rest of the fish.
7.
Next make
the sauce. Do this by melting the butter in the saucepan,
stir in the flour and
gradually add the fish liquid bit by bit, stirring continuously.
8.
When all
the liquid is in, finish the sauce by gradually adding the single cream, then some
seasoning, and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes, then stir in the chopped parsley.
9.
Now add
the hard-boiled
eggs, capers and cornichons to the fish, followed by the lemon juice and, finally,
the sauce.
10.
Mix it all
together gently and carefully so as not to break up the fish too much, then
taste and check the seasoning and pour the mixture into the baking dish.
11.
Now, to
make the topping, peel and quarter the potatoes, put in a
steamer fitted over a large saucepan of boiling water, sprinkle with a
dessertspoon of salt,
put a lid on and steam until
they are absolutely tender – about 25 minutes.
12.
Then
remove the potatoes
from the steamer, drain off the water, return them to the saucepan and cover
with a clean tea cloth to absorb some of the steam for about 5 minutes.
13.
Now add
the butter and crème fraîche and, on the lowest speed, use an electric hand
whisk to break the potatoes
up, then increase the speed to high and whip them up to a smooth, creamy,
fluffy mass.
14.
Taste,
season well, then spread the potatoes all over the
fish, making a ridged pattern with a palette knife.
15.
Now
finally sprinkle over the grated cheeses and bake on a high shelf in the oven
for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely tinged brown.
16.
Serve each
portion garnished with the watercress.
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