fish pie - merged threads

Stephen_Leak

I also poach the fish in milk, and then use it to make a basic white sauce, with a bit of parsley mixed in.

FISH PIE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

375g of old potatoes*
1 onion
250ml of water
¼ of a teaspoon of salt
250ml of milk
350g of white fish**
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
½ a tablespoon of parsley
Salt and ground pepper to taste
½ a tablespoon of butter
½ a tablespoon of milk
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Peel the potatoes and chop them into quarters. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the water and salt into a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the potatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until soft. Check the water level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

While the potatoes are cooking, put the 250ml of milk, fish and onion into a frying pan on a medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes until the fish is firm and opaque.

Strain the milk through a sieve or colander into a bowl. Put the fish and onion onto a plate. Break the fish into small pieces. Throw away the skin and bones.

Drain the potatoes and mash with the ½ a tablespoon of butter and the ½ a tablespoon of milk until it is smooth and lump free. Season with the pepper.

Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into the saucepan the fish was cooked in on a medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring all the time. Take off the heat. Add the milk the fish was cooked in a bit at a time. Stir each time to make sure it is smooth. When all the milk has been added, put the pan back on the heat. Bring to the boil. Keep stirring. Turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the fish, onions and parsley and stir. Season with the pepper.

Put the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish. Level off the surface. Put the mashed potato on top. Spread to cover the fish mixture. Make artistic swirls in the mashed potato. This increases the surface area and makes the top crisper.

Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes until golden on top.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use a packet of white or parsley sauce mix according to the instructions on the packet, but substitute some of the liquid for the milk the fish was cooked in.

Use 100g of cooked prawns instead of 100g of the fish and add them to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie. Add a chopped hard-boiled egg to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie.

Sprinkle 50g of grated Cheddar cheese on top of the potato, or even into it as it being mashed.

TIPS

The trick with the sauce is to keep stirring.

* New potatoes make rubbish mashed potato. Use old ones like King Edward’s or Desiree Reds.

** Use cod, coley, haddock, hake, ling, plaice, pollack or whiting fillets. Use smoked and/or dyed fish, because smoked fish tastes nice and dyed fish looks pretty.

trying-very-trying

I do JO's fish pie, no sauce required http://www.jamieoliver.com/about/jamie-oliver-videos/ministry-of-food-fish-pie . I added sweetcorn to mine, and very nice it was too.

tessie_bear

i do the jamie oliver pie as well...its great

hotcookie101

I do a different Jamie Oliver fish pie, from a book called the accidental foodie. In this one you add raw fish to the pie dish, spinach (he says to steam it, I just pour a kettle of boiling water over it) and quartered hard boiled eggs.
For the sauce then he just fries carrots and onions chopped quite finely (not too finely) until soft, then adds cream, mustard, lemon juice, cheese (I use parmesan and cheddar) and parsley. Then top with mashed potato. I think there is possible a version of it on the delicious magazine website too
Its still REALLY quick and it is amazingly creamy and delicious. It does take a little longer than the MoF one, which I reckon I may have to try.... I often make one to freeze, in which case I let the sauce cool down before I add it to the raw fish so I don't part cook the fish when I cook it. Or I suppose you could cook them and just reheat once defrosted rather than cook from raw...

in-it-to-win-it_4

Thanks guys, some interesting variations there.

Im going to try the basic sacue this time, as also im counting WW points so the lower fat the better. Jamie's recipe does look good will bear this in mind for the future.

SandC

I always make my roux with olive oil rather than using butter. Don't suppose it makes that much difference as it's only a small amount but every so slightly healthier.

I always use mature cheddar as well as you can use less of it to get a nice flavour, also add some english mustard powder to the mix too.

morganlefay

I always make a white sauce (having briefly cooked the fish in milk, and using that for some of the sauce milk) but I saw jamie's video of making his latest non-sauce fish pie. (he did earlier do a pie with just cream which was FAB but soooo calorific.) Does the non-sauce one really taste OK ? It looked so easy to make but when he dished it up I didn't like the look of all those soggy, stringy-looking veg and no nice sauce. Is it really OK ?

trying-very-trying

Well, my lot liked it, even the fussy 15yo who claims not to like fish. Although you don't make a sauce, it creates it's own sort of sauce, with the cheese and the moisture from the veggies. I put a cheesy crumb topping on mine as well.

ANNEGEDDES

mega easy fish pie:

fry off selection of fish in frying pan with olive oil and garlic

add in little tub off creame fresh and stir in some whole grain mustard

add to dish and top with mash potato and just flash under the grill

easy peasy and yummy

Frugalista

SandC wrote: »

I always make my roux with olive oil rather than using butter. Don't suppose it makes that much difference as it's only a small amount but every so slightly healthier.

I always use mature cheddar as well as you can use less of it to get a nice flavour, also add some english mustard powder to the mix too.

I don't even make a roux anymore - I just add the milk to the seasoned flour (drizzle the milk in ever so slowly - like making a roux) and throw in sliced up cheese. Keep stirring - you will think at first that it is far too runny - then all of a sudden it will thicken up. Voila!!

Saves on the butter and is healthier too .