Creamy Seafood Marinara Pie With Mashed Potato Topping

FISH PIE

Steps:

• Push a clove into the skin of each onion. Place in a pot or large skillet, add milk, turn stove onto medium high heat.
• When milk is barely simmering, add fish - don't worry if it's not entirely covered, it can be turned / moved around.
• Poach fish for 7 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer fish straight into a medium baking dish (Note 8).
• Flake into chunks using forks. Remove bones if you see any.
• Use slotted spoon to remove onion and cloves from milk, discard. RESERVE milk.
• Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Boil water for potatoes.
• Melt butter in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add celery and carrot, cook for 5 minutes until carrot is soft.
• Turn heat down to medium low. Add flour, mix in - it will look gluey.
• Add half the milk and quickly start mixing. Once incorporated, the mixture will thicken quickly. Add remaining milk and stir. (Video helpful here)
• Turn heat up to medium and keep stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of honey - about 3 minutes. (Note 7)
• Take it off the heat, stir through tarragon and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Scatter top of flaked fish with peas, then pour over the Sauce. GENTLY stir through (don't want fish to turn into mush!).*
• Smooth top, then nestle egg in all over the pie.
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until soft. (Do this while making the Sauce).
• Drain potato, add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash until creamy - add more milk if required.
• Immediately dollop then spread onto pie (cold mash = hard to spread).
• Use fork to draw squiggles on surface (rough surface = better golden bits).
• Drizzle surface with melted butter, sprinkle with parmesan.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until top is deep golden.
• Stand for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with parsley if desired. See notes for reheating and make ahead.

FISH PIE WITH MASHED POTATO TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Oil an oven-proof baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place white fish in the baking dish and pour in enough milk to cover the fish halfway.
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking, bake fish in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain off milk into a liquid measure; reserve for potatoes. Increase the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Place on the stove to evaporate any extra water. Add butter, salt, and pepper and mash potatoes for 1 minute. Add reserved milk, a little at a time, and keep mashing until smooth and creamy. Gently stir in thawed peas, being careful not to crush them.
• Flake white fish into small pieces in the baking dish. Add flaked salmon and stir to evenly disperse. Drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on top of the fish; spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake in the oven for 20 more minutes.

CREAMY GARLICY SEAFOOD MARINARA

Steps:

• Cook pasta as per packet directions (time to have ready for step 10, it needs to be warm, if it goes cold it will stick together and the sauce won't coat it well).
• Lightly steam vegetables (I normally do in the microwave for a 30 to 60 seconds).
• Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat over a medium to high heat in a large frypan or wok, cook fish till just done, remove to a plate.
• Add more oil, if required and cook the prawns till just cooked through, remove to a plate.
• Add more oil, if required and cook the scallops till just done, remove to plate.
• Wipe out the frypan and add more oil and heat up over medium to high heat and quickly cook the squid rings to just done and remove to plate.
• Wipe frypan clean and heat 1 teaspoon of oil over low heat and add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook till fragrant.
• Add the cream and sour cream and lightly simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the cooked seafood and lightly steamed vegetables and stir to coat, lightly simmering for 2 to 5 minutes till heated through.
• Add cooked pasta and spring onions, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce.
• Serve and enjoy.