Classic Fish Pie Food

FISH PIE - IN FOUR STEPS

Steps:

• Poach 400g skinless white fish fillets and 400g skinless smoked haddock fillets. Put the fish in the frying pan and pour over 500ml of the full-fat milk. Quarter 1 small onion and stud each quarter with a clove, then add to the milk, with 2 bay leaves. Bring the milk just to the boil - you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Lift the fish onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces in the baking dish.
• Hard-boil 4 eggs. Bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a gentle boil, with just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. Set the timer for 8 mins, cook, then drain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Peel, slice into quarters and arrange on top of the fish, then scatter over the chopped leaves of a small bunch of parsley.
• Make the sauce. Melt 50g butter in a pan, stir in 50g plain flour and cook for 1 min over moderate heat. Take off the heat, pour in a little of the cold poaching milk, then stir until blended. Continue to add the milk gradually, mixing well until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring continually, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, then pour over the fish.
• Assemble and bake. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil 1kg floury potatoes, cut into even-sized chunks, for 20 mins. Drain, season and mash with the remaining 50g butter and 100ml full-fat milk. Use to top the pie, starting at the edge of the dish and working your way in - push the mash right to the edges to seal. Fluff the top with a fork, sprinkle over 50g grated cheddar, then bake for 30 mins. Make up to a day ahead, chill, then bake for 40 mins.

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.

TRADITIONAL BRITISH FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.
• Combine milk, bay leaf, and nutmeg in a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Add cod and poach until flaky, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cod onto a plate; reserve poaching liquid. Use a fork to flake fish into bite-sized pieces.
• Mash potatoes in a large bowl. Mix in 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons poaching liquid until potatoes are fairly stiff and not too runny.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and stir in leek. Cook and stir until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet until it just stops bubbling. Add flour and stir roux continuously for 1 minute. Slowly pour in remaining poaching liquid, stirring continuously, to make base of sauce. Add 1/2 the sharp Cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Fold in flaked cod, leek, and peas. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place fish mixture in an oven-proof dish; press boiled eggs gently into the filling across the surface. Cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

OLD FASHIONED FISH PIE

Steps:

• Stick cloves into onion halves and place in a saucepan with milk, bay leaf and fish.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 8 minutes.
• Remove fish with fish slice and cool slightly.
• Strain cooking liquid into a jug, discard solids.
• Flake fish into large chunks, discarding any bones, then season.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
• Add flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
• Add reserved liquid and cook, stirring until mixture starts to thicken.
• Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add nutmeg and herbs, then season.
• Pour over fish, then cool.
• Preheat oven to 180oC.
• Pour mixture in four 500ml pie dishes.
• Cut 1cm-wide strips from the edge of pastry sheets.
• Press around rims of dishes and brush with a little water.
• Cut off any excess pastry.
• Cut 2 small slashes in tops for steam.
• Brush pastry with egg and bake for 25 mintues or until pastry is risen and golden.

MARY BERRY'S FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 200C/400°F Grease a shallow 2.5 litre with butter.
• Melt the butter in a pan on a high heat and fry onion for few minutes.
• Lower the heat, cover and leave to soften for 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and increase the heat to remove any moisture. Sprinkle in the flour and then add the milk gradually, stirring well and allowing the sauce to thicken until all the milk has been added.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add lemon juice and the raw fish and cook for couple of minutes, stirring continuously until the fish has just cooked. Stir in the smoked haddock. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and leave to cool. Top with the hard-boiled eggs.
• For the topping, boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender. Drain, tip the potatoes back into the pan, add milk and butter and mash until lump-free. Use a ricer to get smooth mash. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Spread the mash over the top of the sauce and fish in the dish and score with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is crisp and golden-brown.

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.