Tasty Tuesdays - Fisherman's Pie (St Michael All-Colour Cookery Book by Jeni Wright)

Well I have been away a while, haven’t it? Seems like forever since I did a Tasty Tuesday, so I thought I’d bring in some comfort food for the fish lovers, especially useful given how cold it still is (despite Summer being only a month away now!) This recipe is an old-fashioned fisherman’s pie taken from Jeni Wright’s 1980 edition of The St Michael All-Colour Cookery Book. Until somewhat recently, this was one of my main go-to dinners, but it has fallen out of favour in my house for a combination of reasons – I can only cook dinners on a weekend, my sister doesn’t like it much, and I’m starting to prefer testing out new recipes when I can cook – so I thought, why not share it here?

Your main ingredients are fish, a white sauce, eggs, and potatoes but each can be altered or even omitted according to personal preference. So let’s go through them.

• FISH: a firm white fish like haddock or cod is recommended or you can use salmon (all of which can be smoked or unsmoked). You will be poaching this fish in milk (in the oven or on the hob) and this milk will go into your white sauce so be a little generous with your seasoning before cooking.

A handful of cooked prawns are also a good addition, but you can use them as your main fish ingredient instead if you like (these won’t require poaching).

• WHITE SAUCE: this is typically made with a 50:50 roux of butter and flour to which you slowly stir through the strained milk from the fish. I like to add some extra fish stock (Knorr stock pots work well), a splash of white wine, and a small grating of nutmeg as well as mashing in the onion from the poaching milk for added flavour. The recipe suggests adding a little grated cheese, but I never really followed that step, preferring to save the cheese for the potato topping. It also helps to add a dash of herbs (fresh or dried), so you can choose from dill, parsley or tarragon depending on which fish you’re working with.
• EGGS: Aside from the fish and sauce, sliced boiled eggs are the only other filling ingredient so it makes sense to want to personalise your pie somewhat. I usually add about 1-2 oz / 25-50g of cooked rice (white, brown, wild – whichever you like or have time for) or small shell pasta, and a large handful of peas, but you can try mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, or sweetcorn. Alternatively, check out this BBC Good Food recipe for Salmon andBeetroot Fish Pie which is sure to make you love beetroot.
• POTATOES: When it comes to potatoes, there is seemingly no end to the ways they can be prepared, even when it comes to a pie topping. You can mash them with butter and milk, slice and layer them, or even matchstick them. And you’re not just limited to the standard white potato. You can use sweet potatoes, baby potatoes (lightly crushed with some melted butter and cheese on top) or even combine in some cooked carrot and parsnip for a sweet edge. Whatever you choose, be sure to make it your own.

So, that’s the personalisation part over with; let’s move on to the recipe itself.

FISHERMAN’S PIE (serves 4)

½ kg / 1 lb filleted white fish (haddock, cod)

400ml / ¾ pint milk

Salt and pepper

3 black peppercorns

1 onion slice (I use one whole sliced small onion)

1 bay leaf

25g / 1oz butter

25g / 1oz flour

50g / 2oz Cheddar cheese, grated (as I said, you can save this for adding into or on top of the potatoes)

For the topping:

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

½ kg / 1lb potatoes, boiled and mashed with 25g / 1oz butter, 1 tablespoon milk and 1 beaten egg

• Place the fish in an ovenproof dish with the milk, salt, pepper, onion and bay leaf. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 15-20 minutes (or 8-10 minutes in a large flat pan on the hob) or until the fish is tender and will flake easily with a fork.
• Remove the foil from the dish and flake with a fork, discarding any skin (or bones). Keep warm. Strain the milk and cooking juices and reserve.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the reserved cooking juices, stirring vigorously (use a hand whisk if it helps). When all the juices have been incorporated, return the pan to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the grated cheese (or whatever alternatives you are including) and add the salt and pepper to taste. Cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts into the sauce, stirring constantly (a lot more stirring than I remember).
• Fold the flaked fish into the cheese sauce, then transfer to a deep ovenproof dish. Place the sliced hard boiled eggs in a layer on top of the fish and the mashed (or pre-cooked and sliced) potatoes on top of the eggs. Mark the potato with the back of a fork and bake on the top shelf of a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 10-15 minutes or until the potato topping is golden-brown. Serve straight from the cooking dish.  

This goes well with the addition of some steamed green vegetables on the side,

(I would've found a way to get a photo in here but I'm very tired this evening - see you next time!)