Fish Pie, for those who are unfamiliar with it, isn’t truly a pie because it doesn’t have pastry. It is a casserole that cooks the top layer very crisp much like a pastry top.
Therefore a more accurate title for this dish would be fish and potato casserole. But who am I to interfere with centuries of British tradition and attempt to change the name?
I can’t find the origins of this dish but I can hazard a guess that it was originally a peasant dish. This is indicated by the low-cost of ingredients and the extremely high nutritional value.
Fish pie has a beautiful taste, so save the recipe if you don’t use it right now. A great dish on a cold winter day.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) cod fillet
- 1/2 pound (225 g) smoked haddock
- 1 pint (575 ml) milk
- Salt & pepper
- 2.5 ounces (70 g) butter
- 2 leeks, washed and sliced
- 5 ounces (150 g) whole kernel sweet corn
- 2 ounces (50 g) plain flour
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 pounds (900 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
Put the cod and haddock into a ovenproof dish and pour the milk over the fish.
Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
Remove the fish and place in a bowl. Strain the milk through a sieve and set aside.
Flake the fish into chunks, removing any skin and bones.
Reserve a tsp of butter and place the rest into a saucepan over a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the leeks and corn. Cook gently for 3 minutes or until softened.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the strained milk.
Return to the heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the sauce thickens.
Season to taste.
Cook the diced potatoes in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain potatoes.
Place the fish into an ovenproof dish. Roughly chop the eggs and layer over the fish, pour the sauce over the eggs and fish. Add the drained potatoes.
Melt the reserved butter and brush over the potatoes.
Bake fish pie for 35-45 minutes until crisp and golden.
Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound 450 g cod fillet
- 1/2 pound 225 g smoked haddock
- 1 pint 575 ml milk
- Salt & pepper
- 2.5 ounces 70 g butter
- 2 leeks washed and sliced
- 5 ounces 150 g whole kernel sweet corn
- 2 ounces 50 g plain flour
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 pounds 900 g potatoes, peeled and cubed to 1/2 inch (12 mm)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
- Put the cod and haddock into a ovenproof dish and pour the milk over the fish.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
- Remove the fish and place in a bowl. Strain the milk through a sieve and set aside.
- Flake the fish into chunks, removing any skin and bones.
- Reserve a tsp of butter and place the rest into a saucepan over a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the leeks and corn. Cook gently for 3 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the strained milk.
- Return to the heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the sauce thickens.
- Season to taste.
Notes
