Cheater's Fish Pie

Cheater’s Fish Pie

Quantities to suit however many you’re cooking for

·         White fish eg cod

·         Other fish to choice – smoked haddock, salmon, tuna

·         Bag of large prawns frozen (no need to that)

·         Optional – bag of frozen mixed shellfish – prawns / squid / mussels / scallops

The rest –

·         Single cream

·         Dill – born to be used with fish

·         Soy sauce (to find the perfect cream / spice balance)

·         White wine or sherry

·         Garlic and chilli – ideally blitzed by a blender.  Failing that, just squirt a dollop from a tube or use a teaspoon of the easy stuff you get in a jar

·         1 large onion

·         Sweetcorn – optional

·         Frozen peas – optional

·         Maris Piper potatoes to mash, with butter

1^st Things 1^st

Follow this order –

·         Peel the potatoes

·         Put the kettle on for the potatoes

·         Chop the potatoes into medium chunks (the smaller the chunk, the quicker they will boil)

·         Put the potatoes on

·         Chop your onion and place it in a separate bowl

·         If you’re going to blitz it, do your garlic and chilli now, to taste

·         Pour some oil into the widest flattest pan you have.  Choose your flavour – olive oil, garlic, chilli, lemon.  Place the fish in the pan and on top of it, spread your garlic/chilli paste and any other spices you want to add

·         After 10 mins, turn the fish over and add the onion

·         10 minutes later, check on your fish, peeling any skin off if you’re that bothered

·         Add your frozen shellfish and a good left-handed glug of wine / sherry (always use your non-writing hand for a less controlled splash!)

·         Let things simmer for another 10 minutes, adding the peas and the sweetcorn half-way throug.  Turn the heat down low and add your cream, soy sauce and anything else you might want, spice-wise

·         Whilst this is gently simmering, drain your potatoes, throw in some butter, and mash ‘em up.  Whilst you’re mashing, drop your dill into the fish mix as your final step

·         ALWAYS test the meal before you serve it – it’s better to add a bit more wine / cream / soya sauce than serve something that’s “missing” something

The Cheat’s Choice

Serve the mash up onto your plates, as a base, like rice

Serve your fish mixture on top

The Posher Choice

Put your fish mixture in a deep casserole dish, filling it up at least half way.  Spread your potato mixture on top

If you want to, put some cheese on, or crispy bacon

Be careful – you need at least 1cm gap before the rim of the dish.  Once you put the pie in the oven, it WILL bubble (approx 180 for about 20 mins)

Et voila J

If you like, you can smart with it, experimenting with different spices.  Keep the veggies simple – broccoli is good, as is celery, but don’t over do it.  Equally, don’t do NO veg !

And for an extra mmmmm use less cream and add in some Bisto parsley granules