The perfect alternative to traditional festive dining

Words Tom Kitchin

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 2 litres milk
  • 600g firm fish fillets (salmon/hake/cod), diced into 2cm cubes
  • 200g smoked fish fillet (smoked haddock)
  • 4-6 prawns
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • 1kg Maris Piper potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 beaten egg
  • Cleaned langoustine heads to decorate finished pie

Bechamel sauce: 

  • 500ml milk
  • 60g butter
  • 50g flour
  • 2 tablespoons grain mustard
Christmas cooking

METHOD:

To make the béchamel sauce:

1
First bring the milk up to a simmer in a small pot and set aside.

2
In another pan, melt the butter gently. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth.

3
Add the milk a little at a time to avoid lumps. Keep adding and stirring until you have a creamy sauce.

4
Allow to cool slowly for 5 minutes and then add the grain mustard. Set aside.

To make the mashed potato:

1
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Bake the potatoes until the skin is crispy and middle soft.

2
While hot, scoop out the flesh and pass the potato through a drum sieve to remove lumps.

3
Heat the milk used for poaching the fish and stir into potato mixture with 2 tbsp butter. You may not need all the milk, add bit-by-bit until desired consistency is achieved. Season to taste.


Cooking the fish:

1
Gently heat the 2 litres of milk. Add the fish filets and poach for 3-4 minutes. Add the smoked fish and poach for a further 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove the fish and set aside.


TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE:

1
Preheat the oven to 190°C/as 5. Butter a baking dish and spread a small amount of béchamel on the bottom of the dish.

2
On top of that, spread the poached fish and quartered eggs.

3
Spread with the remaining béchamel. Top with the mashed potatoes, place the langoustine heads in the potato and brush with an egg wash.

4
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

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