No Rules Fish Pie

If you Google fish pie, most recipes have a potato top. But gosh we love some pastry. So let’s put the potato inside instead. If that doesn’t suit you, ignore the pastry part of this recipe, and put mashed spuds on top. I’ve used corn in this recipe, but if you love peas then use them instead. Hence the ‘No Rules’. This is a very forgiving recipe.

Use: a white fish (like Monk, Ling, Red Cod, Elephant or Gurnard) and smoked fish of your choice. The smoked fish is optional but we do think it makes the dish.
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 Onion, finely diced
  • 550g of fresh Fish (a combo is great – like 300g of Monkfish and 250g of Gurnard)
  • 200g of Smoked Fish (we used Warehou)
  • 1 cup Corn or Peas
  • 1 cup Potato, cubed and par-boiled in salted boiling water for a few minutes
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 5 Tbsp White flour
  • 2 ½ cup milk
  • 3 Eggs, hard boiled & cut in half
  • Pastry to fit your dish, ready-made flaky puff is good
  • Milk or Egg for the pastry
  • Flaky Sea Salt & fresh ground Pepper
METHOD
  • Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  • Saute the onion until translucent. Take off the heat and reserve until later.
  • Cut the fresh fish into 2cm square (ish) chunks, flake the smoked fish. Place in a large bowl.
  • Add the corn, onion and potato to the fish. Fold through and set aside.
  • Over a medium high heat. Melt the butter in a pot. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute stirring the whole time. It will start to foam.
  • Remove from the heat and add a little milk, stirring continuously. Put back on the heat. Continue to add the milk, stirring continuously. If it gets lumpy, give it a little whisk. I usually do.
  • Once cooked to your desired thickness, add salt and pepper to taste, and wait for it to cool for a few minutes. If it is too thick add a little more milk. Pour over the fish and gently fold through. Season well.
  • Into a greased pie/baking dish, put the fish mixture. Roughly level the top. Then make 6 small indentations with a spoon and add the eggs, yolk side up.
  • Place the pastry on the top of your dish. Tuck in like a wee blanket. Brush the top with milk or beaten egg. Prick the pastry so that air can escape.
  • Place in the over for approx. 45 mins until golden brown.
  • Serve with greens and wait for applause.

Recipe by Jana from The Macpherson Diaries