Fish pie

Credit and permission to share: Latimer’s Seafood. 

Growing up in Sunderland meant takeaways were rare and when they did happen it meant fish and chips.  Warm the plates.  Everyone get ready.  Fish and chips in newspaper are on the way.  Amazing. 

Mam also made a great fish pie, involving a barrier of mash potato guarding a filling of fresh fish in white sauce – usually cod, smoked haddock and prawns.  Also amazing.  And filling.

Later, Mam (RubyKitchen’s Granny) introduced us to Latimer’s ridiculously gorgeous platters.  Unbelievably amazing and a great addition to our recipe stories.   

We are so happy to bring you this recipe from Latimer’s with one rule – ONLY USE FRESH FISH.

You will need:

Feeds 8 hungry people!

• 1.25kg Latimer’s Fish Pie Mix (if you’re not nearby, we suggest 25% cod, 25% salmon, 25% undyed smoked haddock and 25% large uncooked prawns but it is up to you – beware the more smoked haddock you use, the more powerful the flavour and the more salty.  If using cooked prawns, defrost thoroughly and add after cooking the cod, salmon and haddock.

• 2 pints full fat milk

• 1 onion quartered

• Mace

• 100g butter

• 150g flour

• 3 tomatoes – prick, put in hot oven for 2 mins, then when cool skin, deseed and roughly chop

• 2 tbspns chopped parsley

• 50g grated mature cheddar

• 5 kg mashed potatoes

• 3 tbspns frozen peas

  
  

Simmer the fish, onion and mace in the milk for 2 mins

Let it cool for 20 mins

Strain the fish, check for bones, and flake any large pieces

Discard the onion

Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour

Add the strained fish milk slowly, stirring to make the sauce

Stir in the cheese, fish, tomatoes, parsley

Season with salt and pepper

TASTE – add more salt and pepper as necessary, add frozen peas

Spoon filling into pie dish (spread fish out evenly)

Pipe mashed potato onto fish pie, sprinkle breadcrumb/cheese on the top and finish off in a moderate oven for 15-20 mins (make sure piping hot)

You can freeze the cooked fish pies for rainy days, or half/ quarter the recipe if you want to feed less people.