Old Fashioned Fish Pie Food

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.

OLD FASHIONED FISH PIE

Steps:

• 1. Peel, cook and mash potatoes or use a box of instant potatoes- yukon gold or other mildly flavored mix. Set aside
• 2. Season fillets with salt, pepper then poach in a skillet on the stovetop.Once the pan starts simmering, cover and poach about 4-5 mins,using both liquids and herbs ,peas and onions. Remove fish from liquid and flake, but save some of the poaching liquid. Remove peas and onions with a slotted spoon. Discard sprigs of herbs. While poaching, preheat oven to 350.
• 3. Mix fish, peas, onions and some of the poaching liquid( 1-2 tbs.to make potatoes spreadable) with the mashed potatoes and spread in a glass pie plate or other oven-safe dish that is lightly greased. Drag a knife over the top of the potato mixture and dot with butter if you like. Bake @ 350 for about 20-25 mins until heated through and top is a little browned.

FRIDAY NIGHT FISH PIE

Steps:

• Simmer the potatoes for about 20 mins until tender, then drain and mash with most of the butter, plenty of seasoning and a little milk. Season and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cut the fish into 2cm cubes. Bring the milk just to a simmer in a large frying pan - when you see a few small bubbles, add the fish, onion and bay leaves, then cover and cook for 6-8 mins. Lift the fish out onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug.
• Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min over a medium heat. Take off the heat, pour in a little 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, then simmer for 5 mins, stirring continuously, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then mix in the parsley.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Divide the fish between 2 ovenproof dishes, about 1.3 litres each and strain any juices into the sauce. Scatter over the prawns, then add the eggs to both dishes if eating straightaway, or to just one dish if freezing the other. Pour the sauce over both. Spoon half of the mash over one dish so it covers everything, making sure it reaches the sides. Rough up the top with a fork and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden. Freeze the remaining fish and mash (see tips, below).

SEA PIE (SIX PATES)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook meat over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to brown. Mix in onions and celery, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange 2 pie crusts in a single layer on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Spread 1/2 of the meat over the pie crusts. Arrange 2 more pie crusts over the meat layer, and then spread remaining meat on top of the pastry. Top with remaining pastry. Press the pastry to the sides of the pan, and poke 8 small holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until dough is golden brown and the pie is hot and bubbly.

FANTASTIC FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas 8.
• Put the potatoes into salted boiling water and bring back to the boil for 2 minutes.
• Carefully add the eggs to the pan and cook for a further 8 minutes until hard boiled, by which time the potatoes should also be cooked.
• At the same time steam the spinach in a colander above the pan. This will only take a minute. When the spinach is done, remove from the colander and gently squeeze any excess moisture away.
• Then drain the potatoes in the colander.
• Remove the eggs, cool under cold water, then peel and quarter them. Place to one side.
• In a separate pan slowly fry the onion and carrot in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes, than add the double cream and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the cheese, lemon juice, mustard and parsley.
• Put the spinach, fish and eggs into an appropriately sized earthenware dish and mix together, pouring over the creamy vegetable sauce.
• The cooked potatoes should be drained and mashed - add a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg if you like. Spread on top of the fish. Don't bother piping it to make it look pretty - it's a homely hearty thing.
• Place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden.

FISH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the fish in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour over 1 cup of the milk and dot with a few flecks of butter, bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Strain but reserve the cooking juices, remove any skin from the fish and flake the flesh in large pieces.
• Make the sauce, melt the rest of the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook it for 1 minute, start adding the cooking juices bit by bit, stirring all the time, after that add the rest of the milk, if still too thick just add a little more milk.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Mix in to the sauce: fish, prawns, eggs, capers, parsley, peas and celery, add the lemon juice and check the seasoning.
• Pour the fish mixture in a 1½ liter greased ovenproof dish.
• Mash the potatoes with the butter, sour cream and nutmeg, check the seasoning, and then spread this on top of the fish.
• Bake in the oven at 400F for 30 –40 minutes.

FAMILY MEALS: EASY FISH PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6.
• Put 1kg potatoes, peeled and halved, in a saucepan and pour over enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender.
• When cooked, drain thoroughly and mash with a splash of milk and a knob of butter. Season with ground black pepper.
• Put 25g butter, 25g plain flour and 4 finely sliced spring onions in another pan and heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring regularly. Cook for 1-2 mins.
• Gradually whisk in 400ml milk using a balloon whisk if you have one. Bring to the boil, stirring to avoid any lumps and sticking at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3-4 mins until thickened.
• Take off the heat and stir in 320g-400g mixed fish, 1 tsp Dijon or English mustard, a small bunch of finely snipped chives, handful of sweetcorn and handful of petits pois. Spoon into an ovenproof dish or 6-8 ramekins.
• Spoon the potato on top and sprinkle with a handful of grated cheddar cheese.
• Pop in the oven for 20-25 mins or until golden and bubbling at the edges. Alternatively, cover and freeze the pie or mini pies for another time.