Easy as pie

I still don’t remember why we were talking about fish pie on the recent dog walk. I guess by mid morning, we all got a bit peckish and none of the furry friends were ready to leave. Anyway, the conversation soon turned to how we make our pies. Every family has their own recipe, and when I trained as a cook, the recipe we used was a little too long and required too much equipment for everyday cooking. I see why the tutors used that particular recipe, as it was perfect to demonstrate different skills. But for a home cook, we can definitely simplify it, without compromising the flavour and comfort factor this dish brings. So here it is, my easy fish pie recipe for my lovely readers. I used a saute pan that is also oven friendly (please check before you put yours in the oven!), to minimise the washing up. This recipe serves 4.

240g salmon fillets
240g cod fillets or white fish such as pollock or haddock
240g smoked haddock fillets
1 standard size baking potato
2 stalks celery
1 leek
240g young spinach
300ml single cream
300ml milk
1 heaped tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 level tablespoon English mustard powder
45g butter
3 heaped tablespoon (about 50g) plain flour
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

1. Remove the skin from the fish fillets and cut the flesh into chunks. I prefer the fish quite chunky, as they can overcook and break down if they are cut too small. So I would recommend each chunk is about two finger knuckles long. You can obviously use a bag of frozen fish pie mix. But please don’t forget to defrost it thoroughly overnight in the fridge, then the following day, drain it well and pat dry the excess moisture, otherwise the finished dish can be watery, and the sauce split and curdles.
2. Wash the leek well, ensure any grit lurking in the leaves is rinsed off. Rinse the celery stalks too. Take your time to chop both finely and set aside. Check the spinach is washed and ready to eat, otherwise rinse it very well.
3. Saute the prepared leeks and celery with a little olive oil for 10 minutes on low heat till they are softened but not taken on any colour. This slow cooking called sweating, will tease out the sweetness from the vegetables. Remove and set aside.
4. No need to rinse the pan, saute the spinach leaves, without any additional oil or water. They will wilt down in a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside. If you used frozen spinach, again ensure it is defrosted and you squeeze out the moisture as much as possible, then rough chop. No need to cook it at this stage.
5. Melt the butter in the same saute pan, add the flour, stir well to mix. It should look like wet sand, add the mustard powder, stir well to mix, now the sandy mixture should look a little drier. At this point take the pan off the heat. This mixture is called a roux.
6. In a measuring jug, combine the milk and single cream, gradually add that to the roux. Little by little while you keep stirring, preferably with a small whisk and go around the edges of the pan so there are no lumps remaining. It is important you add the wet mixture gradually, and stir well after each addition to ensure a smooth sauce. Don’t add all the wet mixture in one go, the lumps will not smooth out. Once all the mixture is incorporated, put the pan back on the heat, start with medium to high heat then let it boil for a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Set it aside to cool.
7. Now prepare the potato topping. I have a mandoline by Oxo. This will help you slice any vegetables and fruit thinly, evenly and safely! The guard will grip the last bit of the food item. I use this nice little gadget whenever I make gratin dauphinoise or boulangere. Otherwise using a sharp knife, thinly slice the scrubbed (or peeled) baking potato. If the slices are a bit thick, it is best to parboil them for a couple of minutes to soften them so they cook and crisp up in the oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180c fan. Pat dry the potato slices using a paper kitchen towel.
8. Without rinsing the saute pan, mix the raw fish chunks with the wilted spinach, softened leeks and celery, along with the mustard sauce. Level the top before arranging the potato slices in an overlapping circular pattern. Lightly season one final time, and drizzle (or brush) over a touch of olive oil or melted butter. A sprinkle of strong tasting cheese like mature cheddar or gruyere is delicious, although this is optional.
9. Put the pan on the centre rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The sauce should bubble, fish cooked and the potato topping golden. If you wish to brown the potato topping a bit more, put it under the preheated grill for a few minutes. Don’t keep the pan in the oven as the fish can overcook. After that time, remove it from the oven, and let it stand for 5 minutes or so before serving. A fresh green salad of peppery rocket and watercress leaves in a lemon dressing would be a lovely accompaniment.

If you wish to make this ahead, leave off the potatoes, everything else can be made a day ahead, then before cooking, prepare the potatoes and cook as normal, although you might need to add another 5-10 minutes to ensure the centre is cooked through. The reason I don’t recommend you make the potato topping ahead of time is that raw potatoes can turn brown due to oxidation. It is because potatoes contain starch and when exposed to oxygen they can turn grey, brown or even black, although it is safe to eat.

This recipe does not contain eggs or shellfish, do add some if you prefer. I used to make a mashed potato topping and sprinkle over some grated cheese before baking, that obviously is a classic recipe. Alternatively, a defrosted puff pastry sheet, brushed with beaten egg (or milk) on top of the cold mix, before baking is another twist. You can also leave off all these topping ideas, and mix breadcrumbs, melted butter, herbs and grated cheese, liberally sprinkle them over the fish mixture to turn the pie into a gratin!

This is a wonderful dish to make and to scale up for Christmas and New Year entertaining, I hope you will try it and drop me a message via Contact Me to tell me how it was.