Good Friday fish pie with Comte mash
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 200g cooked shell-on prawns
- 250g smoked white fish fillet
- 175g fresh white fish fillet
- 175g salmon fillet
- 350ml whole milk
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 stick celery, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- freshly ground pepper
- ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 25g unsalted butter
- 35g plain flour
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- salt and pepper
- For the mash
- 750g floury potatoes
- 50g unsalted butter
- 60ml whole milk, warmed
- 100g grated Comté cheese
- salt and pepper
Method
- Turn the oven to 200C/Gas6. Shell prawns and put shells and heads in a saucepan. Using a sharp filleting knife, skin fish and add skins to the same pan with the milk, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and parsley stalks (save leaves for later). Bring to the boil, remove from heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins.
- Put potatoes on to boil and also boil eggs for 9 mins, then plunge into cold running water, peel and cut into quarters. When potatoes are cooked, drain and mash with ¾ of the butter, all the milk and ¾ of the cheese, and season with fresh-ground pepper.
- Cut fish into 2cm cubes and mix in a bowl with the prawns and eggs.
- To make the sauce, strain the infused milk into a jug, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for a few mins, stirring with a sauce whisk until smooth. Remove from heat, add milk gradually, stirring all the time (beat out lumps with a balloon whisk), return to a low heat and keep stirring until it thickens slightly. Season and stir in the parsley and chives.
- Add sauce to the fish and stir gently until all the fish is coated.
- Put the mixture into a pie dish or smaller dishes for individual pies, spread mashed potato on top, make grooves in the potato with a fork, dot over remaining butter and sprinkle remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-30 mins until golden brown and hot throughout.
