North Shields Fish Pie
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 250g cod fillet cut into
- 25g pieces
- 200g salmon fillet cut into 25g pieces
- 200g smoked haddock, diced
- 4 large scallops, halved
- 20 cooked mussels
- 4 langoustine tails
- 20g shrimps
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- For the white sauce:
- 45g unsalted butter
- 55g plain flour
- 700ml milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
- To finish the sauce:
- 30g unsalted butter
- 200g onion, finely diced
- 100g carrot, finely diced
- 100g celery, finely diced
- 100ml white wine
- 100ml double cream
- For the mashed potato:
- 800g potatoes, peeled and diced
- 150g unsalted butter
- 2tbsp salt
- 100g warm milk
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- 3 egg yolks
- For the topping:
- 40g gruyère cheese, grated
- 20g parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- 4 langoustine heads
Method
- For the white sauce, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, add flour and cook for 5 mins, stirring. Meanwhile, place the milk in a pan with the bay leaf and cloves and bring to just below the boil. Pour the milk into the flour mix a little at a time, stirring continually, season and cook out for 5 mins.
- To finish the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and add all the vegetables. Cook for 5 mins without colouring, add wine and reduce by two thirds. Add the white sauce and cream and simmer for 2 mins, stirring continually. Remove from heat.
- For the mashed potato, cook the potatoes in simmering water until cooked, drain thoroughly and mash, adding the butter, ½tsp salt and the warm milk. Once smooth, remove from heat, add nutmeg and egg yolks. Put mash into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- To finish, add the fish to the hot sauce, cook lightly for 30 secs, then add mussels, shrimps and chives. Divide between 4 pie dishes and pipe with potato. Sprinkle with grated cheeses, put a langoustine head in the middle of each pie and bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 15 mins until golden, then sprinkle with chives and serve.
- Tip: If you can't get scallops or langoustines, use monkfish and king prawns instead.
