POTATO AND FISH PIE

Good Morning to you,

We want to say a big thank you, to all the lovely people, who were kind enough to send George and I their best wishes for  our Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday 3rd October. It was so thoughtful of you and we both really appreciated your kindness.

George and I had a lovely day together, which as you will probably have guessed, involved food!

.....and that leads me on to what I am cooking today, a fish pie.

But first a verse,

Dance To Thy Daddy

(A folk song originating in Northumberland)

1st verse

Dance to your Daddy, my little laddie,

Dance to your Daddy, my little man,

Thou shalt have a fishy,

and thou shalt have a fin,

Thou shalt have a codlin when the boat comes in,

Thou shalt have a haddock baked in a pan,

Dance to your daddy, my little man.



Please,  don't let the name  fish pie, put you off. The pie doesn't have a pastry topping, it's mash potato.  It's a dish which works well during the winter.  You also don't have to use the same fish as I did. You can make changes to include fish which your family enjoy. It can also be made with one,  two, or three different types of fish, it's really up to you. Whatever you are able to source and if you are lucky enough to have a husband who goes fishing, even better.

Now doesn't this look delicious. 

YOU WILL NEED

A 10" round dish which can be used in the oven,

 Oven temperature of 160C

Cooking time 1 hour

INGREDIENTS FOR POTATO TOPPING

1.5 kg potatoes

1 oz butter (or olive oil if preferred)

dash of milk

salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Rinse under cold running water.  Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with salted water.   Bring to the boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender. This will take approximately 30 minutes, but again as I always say, "keep an eye" on the potatoes. 

VEGETABLES

2 large carrots

1 stick of celery

1 onion

4 oz frozen peas

Peel and chop the carrot into small cubes. Peel and chop the onion and celery. The peas are frozen garden peas so they do not require any preparation.

 Put a little olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions and celery until translucent.  Add the carrots and peas and  half a cup of water, place the lid on the pan and cook the carrots until tender for about 5 minutes, if you prefer a crisper carrot then reduce the cooking time. 

INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE SAUCE

50g butter

50g flour

1 pint of milk

grated zest of a lemon

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, allow to cook for a minute, then add the milk and whisk until thick and glossy.  Add salt and pepper and grated lemon zest. The sauce will be thick, don't worry as this is how it should be.

When the sauce is cooked add to the pan with the onion, celery, carrots and peas.  Stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.

  

 FISH

200g prawns

280g salmon

250g white fish

 Cut the salmon fillets and white fish into bite sized pieces,  add to the white sauce, do not stir, place on the top. Finally  add the prawns. 

Spoon the mixture into a dish. As you spoon the mixture into the dish you will find the fish will be incorporated into the white sauce.

By now, the potatoes will be cooked and ready to be turned into fluffy mashed potato.

Drain the water and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add the butter. The potatoes are hot so the butter will melt quickly. Add a dash of milk  (two tablespoons) and mix. I use a wooden spoon and give the potatoes a good beating (a bit like kneading bread, gets rid of any frustrations). Check for seasoning, if more is needed, add now.

Placed the fluffy mashed potato on top of the fish and white sauce. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 1 hour.

or  until the potato topping is golden brown.

  

Allow to cool a little.

......and there you have it a delicious fish pie.

You can also add cheese to the white sauce, or chopped parsley. If you prefer sweetcorn, omit the peas and add sweetcorn.

Enjoy,

This week I be joining,

Karen at Sew Many Ways
On the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Foodie Friends Friday at This and That

See you later in the week.

Best Wishes

Daphne xxx