Cheaters Weeknight Fish Pie Food

HARISSA FISH PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and cook for 50 mins-1 hr or until the flesh is soft (or in the microwave on high for 5-7 mins). Remove the skin and mash the flesh with 2 tbsp of the oil, the cumin and paprika. Set aside and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat a frying pan with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and cook the onions and peppers over a medium heat until soft, about 7 mins. Warm the milk in a pan over a low-medium heat and add the fish pie mix and the prawns. Cook for 4 mins until the prawns have just turned pink, then scoop out the fish and prawns. Reserve the milk.
• Add the harissa paste to the onions and peppers and cook for 2 mins. Stir through the cornflour, then add the reserved milk bit by bit, stirring as you go, followed by the cream. Add the spinach and cook for 2 mins until it softens, then add the fish and prawns, stirring carefully to avoid breaking them up.
• Pour the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish, approximately 25 x 18cm. Carefully spoon the sweet potato on top, going from end- to-end and meeting in the middle. Carefully spread out with a knife, then go over it with a fork to make ridges. Bake for 20 mins, then grill for 10 mins on the hottest setting. Serve with the green beans.

EASY-TO-SCALE CHEESY FISH PIE WITH KALE

Steps:

• Tip the potatoes into a pan, cover with hot water from the kettle and add a pinch of salt. Simmer for 15-20 mins until tender, then drain and leave to steam-dry.
• Meanwhile, warm the butter in a heavy-based pan over a low heat. Add the flour and stir until you have a paste. Gradually whisk in 200ml milk until you have a thick white sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins, stirring. Season, then stir in the mustard and half the cheese, and continue to stir until the cheese has melted. Fold in the fish, peas and kale, and cook for 8 mins more, or until the kale wilts, the fish is just cooked and the prawns are starting to turn pink.
• Heat the grill to medium-high. Mash the potatoes with the spring onion and 1 tbsp milk. Fold in the remaining cheese and season well.
• Tip the filling into a heatproof dish and spoon the cheesy mash on top, swirling it with a fork until the filling is completely covered. Sprinkle over the parmesan and grill for 10-15 mins until the pie is golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad, if you like. Uncooked pie, well covered in the dish, will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

FISH PIE

Steps:

• In a deep covered skillet, combine carrot, wine, salt, bouquet garni and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and set aside.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Cook until soft, and mash (preferably with a potato ricer) with 6 tablespoons butter and the salt. Cover and set aside.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put cod and haddock into skillet with carrot, cover, and bring to a simmer. Poach for 3 minutes. Transfer fish to a plate, and add salmon to skillet. Poach for 3 minutes, and transfer salmon to plate with cod and haddock. Discard carrot and reserve bouquet garni. Strain liquid into a measuring cup, add saffron and add enough cream to make 2 cups liquid.
• Place a saucepan over low heat, and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour and mace. Stir for a few minutes; remove pan from heat. Slowly stir in cream mixture, beating until smooth. Return pan to heat and add reserved bouquet garni. Stir until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan, and distribute cooked fish evenly, breaking into large chunks as necessary. Scatter shrimp evenly in pan. Discard bouquet garni, and pour sauce over all.
• Spread mashed potato evenly over top, covering edges so sauce will not bubble over. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over top of pie, and place pan on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is hot and potatoes are flecked with gold, 20 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES PIE

Steps:

• Butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish or casserole. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then stir in leeks and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and anchovies and cook 1 minute, until the anchovies dissolve. Add wine and bring to a boil, then let simmer until the wine evaporates almost completely. Remove from heat and scrape into a heatproof bowl.
• In the same skillet, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until pale golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken stock and clam juice, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Simmer for 1 to 3 minutes until very thick (it will thin out as it bakes), then remove from heat.
• Pat the fish cubes, shrimp and scallops dry. Stir them into the sauce along with the sautéed leeks, peas, tarragon, parsley, capers and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
• Chill uncovered, for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
• Before baking, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together egg with 1 teaspoon water. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry dough. Roll it 1/8-inch thick. Use a fish cutter or paring knife to cut out a fish from the center of dough. (Alternatively, you can cut circles from the dough and overlap them on top of the pie to look like fish scales).
• Place pastry on top of pie and trim edges, but don't seal them (sealing impinges on the puffing). Brush egg wash all over pastry.
• Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If you like, spoon the sour cream into a shallow dish, top it with the trout roe and serve it on the side for guests to add to the pie. Or spoon the caviar into the fish cutout on top of the pie and serve sour cream on the side.

NEXT LEVEL FISH PIE

Steps:

• Heat 25g of the butter in a shallow pan and sizzle the shallot for 2 mins. Add the prawn heads, shells and smoked haddock skin and trimmings, turn up the heat and cook for 5 mins until they start to brown. Throw in the bay and star anise, then splash in the pernod if using and then the wine. Boil everything down until practically evaporated, then pour over 1 litre of milk and sprinkle in the vegetable bouillon. Simmer everything for 15 mins, turn off the heat, crush the shells with a potato masher and strain into a jug.
• Clean out the pan and melt 60g of butter, stir in the flour so you have a sandy paste and cook for 2 mins on a low heat. Gradually stir in the flavoured milk, then the crème fraîche, and simmer gently to make a very thick sauce. Season to taste. Turn off the heat and gently fold through all the fish and prawns, capers and lemon juice. Scrape into a large buttered baking dish.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Bring the potatoes to the boil in a large pan of water, add the eggs and simmer for 8 mins. Scoop out the eggs, put in a bowl of cold water to cool, then peel, halve and push into the sauce. Drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining milk and butter. Spread or pipe the mash over the pie. Sprinkle with gruyère and/or crush over crisps. Put the pie on a baking tray and cook for 35 mins until golden and just bubbling over. Leave to sit for at least 10 mins before eating with buttered spinach, peas or watercress.

CHEATER'S WEEKNIGHT FISH PIE

Steps:

• Microwave potatoes on high until completely cooked (5-7 minutes). Set aside to cool.
• Skin salmon if necessary. Cut into 1/2 inch dice.
• Break smoked herring into bite-sized pieces, reserving any liquid.
• Quarter eggs.
• Arrange fish and eggs into 2 well-oiled/greased oven-proof ramekins (generous single serve size).
• Drizzle any remaining packing liquid from herring over the fish and eggs.
• Cover with alfredo sauce. Tap ramekin on bench several times to allow sauce to completely coat the fish. Alternatively, mix gently with a spoon or fork so as to not break up egg too much.
• Roughly crush the microwaved potatoes with a masher or heavy drinking glass so as to leave chunks. Skin can be removed if preferred, but I leave it on for convenience and appearance.
• Mix 2/3 of the cheese with the potato (crushed as above, or leftover mashed potato).
• Cover the fish mixture with the combined potato and cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. (Ramekins may be refrigerated at this point for later cooking- cook within 24 hours).
• Bake at 350-375 F until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and brown on top. I use a toaster oven; if using a full-sized oven, or cook for a longer time.
• Serve with green salad.
• Variations: add capers, green olives, or herbs (dill and parsley) to sauce.