Cook-along with Rick as he shows you how to make a cook one of the nation's favourite suppers, fish pie. As he says 'People often ask when is a good time to eat fish pie, and I answer, when isn't a good time to eat it'.
SERVES 6
1/4 large onion
2 cloves
1 fresh bay leaf
700ml whole milk
300ml double cream
500g skinned hake fillet, diced
300g undyed smoked haddock fillet, diced
250g monkfish fillet, diced
12 large cooked prawns
4 eggs
75g butter
45g plain flour
Large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
1.25kg peeled floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward
1 egg yolk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
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Put the onion and cloves in a large pan with the bay leaf, 600ml milk and cream and bring to a boil. Then add the hake, smoked haddock and monkfish return to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Lift the fish out into a shallow ovenproof dish and top with the cooked prawns. Pour the cooking liquor into a jug before making the sauce.
Melt the butter into the pan, add the flour for 1 minute and begin to slowly add the cooking liquor, stirring each time as it thickens. Gently allow the sauce to cook until it’s fairly smooth and silky – around 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Hard-boil the eggs for 7-8 minutes, then drain and leave to cool. Peel and cut them into chunky slices and arrange on top of the fish with a good handful of freshly chopped parsley.
Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool. Chill in the
fridge for 1 hour.
Boil the potatoes for 15 – 20 minutes. Drain, using a hand
whisk puree the potatoes until lump free and fluffy, add the remaining butter and the egg yolk. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Beat in enough of the remaining milk to form a soft, spreadable mash.
Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/180c fan. Spoon the potato over the chilled filling and mark the surface with a fork. Bake for 35 minutes, until piping hot and golden brown.
Best served with garden peas.
