Recipes - Fish Pie
In medieval times, mixtures of fish would have been topped with pastry, both to seal in the flavour, and to serve as added fuel. Although pastry can of course still be used, we now commonly use the words ‘fish pie' to mean fish topped with mashed potato.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas 4. Have ready a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pie dish.
Cut the monkfish and salmon into 2.5cm (1 in) dice. Cut the shelled scampi in half. Cut the tomatoes into six segments each. Mix all these together in a bowl, and season with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
Meanwhile for the sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and mix together. Boil the chicken stock, milk and double cream together, then slowly add to the ‘roux' of butter and flour. Beat in to get rid of any lumps.
Add the chives, mustard and fish to the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil and then immediately remove from the heat. Put into the pie dish and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, for the topping, scrape the flesh from the skins of the warm baked potatoes into a bowl. Add the butter and cheese and beat into a good smooth mash. Season with salt and pepper, and put on top of the fish. Smooth over with a palette knife, dipping the knife frequently in the melted butter, then use the side of the knife to make little indentations or ridges around the pie.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the top is crisp and brown. Take out, sprinkle with spring onions, and serve.
