If you love the comfort of classic British dishes like shepherd's pie or beef and Guinness pie, but want a dish that feels just a tad lighter, consider the fish pie. Also known as a fisherman's pie,
Ingredients
1 cup fish stock
1 cup milk
12 ounces fish, skin and bones removed, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 bay leaf
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 medium leek, white part only, washed thoroughly and finely sliced
2 ounces all purpose flour (a little less than 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste
Dash ground black pepper, or to taste
5 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (warm and creamy)
A handful of grated cheddar cheese, optional
Step by step
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 355 F/180 C.
Pour the fish stock and milk into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the fish pieces and bay leaf and poach for 5 minutes.
Remove the fish pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the liquid in the pot.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced leek and cook for 5 minutes until the leek is soft.
While still hot, add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
Pour the fish poaching liquid into the pan and stir again. Raise the temperature and cook for 3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and add the poached fish and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and fluff them up with a fork. For a more professional look, you can pipe the mashed potatoes using a piping bag with a large nozzle.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese if using.
Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook in the center of the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling beneath the potatoes. Serve immediately and enjoy.
