Jamie's fish pie - suitable for people who don't like fish!!

johnr1

I typed "fish pie recipe" into boards search this evening, and up popped a couple of old threads by people like myself looking for one. Both threads suggested Jamie Oliver's fish pie, as did google when I tried that. I've never been a fanboy of his, but I said I'd give the man a chance seeing as a few boardsies had recommended it.
When I read the ingredients list, I was suspicious, chillies, juice of a whole lemon, no White sauce, celery but no onion. However who was I to second guess the collective wisdom.

Jesus wept, this is fish pie for people who don't like fish ! Nothing but a taste of chillies and lemon off it, and dry as a bone.

A total waste of €15 worth of ingredients, and that was in Lidl.

Dog's getting the rest of it.

First post in the food and drink forum, pity it had to be negative.

livinsane

If you'd like to try another recipe, a marvelous one was posted in the Cooking Club forum before:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=65471065

I've made it countless times. Real comfort food. I add fresh spinach also which I think works well.

Darkginger

This is how I make fish pie - can't give exact quantities because it all depends on how much fish I have to hand, and how many people I'm feeding:

White fish fillets (whiting, pollock or coalfish) in a 2:1 ratio with...
'Pink' fish fillets (salmon or trout)
Smoked fish fillet - ideally un-dyed haddock (just a little will do)
A few prawns or crayfish (ideally uncooked but peeled, but if cooked, add right at the end before adding the topping, else they'll go woody)
Boiled and shelled winkles (optional, easy to collect if you're near a beach)
A few mussels (optional)
2 rashers of smoked bacon cut into lardons and dry-fried in a pan until browned and a bit crispy
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 carrot
1/2 onion
6 black peppercorns
Milk
Grated mature cheddar cheese
Peeled potatoes
Melted butter

Put all the uncooked fish (including prawns if raw) in a large pan with half an onion and 1 carrot, split down the middle, lengthwise. Add the peppercorns. Just cover with milk, and bring up to a simmer. Continue simmering until the fish is flaky, then remove from the heat and drain the milk through a sieve into a jug. Keep the milk to one side.

Remove and discard the carrot, onion and peppercorns. Once the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into chunks, using your fingers (you can feel for any tiny bones at the same time, and remove them). Put a layer of the fish, together with the cooked prawns, mussels, winkles etc. into an oven proof dish. Put half the egg slices and half the bacon on top, then cover with the rest of the fish. The other half of the eggs and bacon go on top of this.

Make a white sauce the usual way (flour, butter, milk - Google will help here if you've never made a white sauce) using the reserved fishy milk - plus some more milk if there isn't enough. Throw in a handful or so of grated mature cheddar and stir until it's dissolved. Taste, and adjust seasoning, then pour the sauce over the fish in the dish. If you're a parsley fan (I'm not) you could add some to the sauce, too.

Now, the next bit I got from Delia Smith - it makes a change from a mashed potato topping. Boil enough spuds to cover your dish generously - BUT only parboil them for about 7 - 10 minutes. Drain and cool a little, then grate them. Take handfuls of the grated potatoes and put them on top of the fish/sauce in your dish - press them down lightly, but not enough to squish them, then paint the top with melted butter.

Into the oven at 180 degrees C for about 30-40 mins, or until the topping has gone golden and crispy.

Peas are probably the nicest veg to serve with this - those little frozen petits pois would be best, plus maybe some carrots? It works surprisingly well with baked beans, too.

You can throw whatever you like into this pie, really - scallops would be good (in which case I'd add a bit of white white to the sauce, and maybe use Gruyere instead of Cheddar) - you could even do it with monkfish, cod, salmon, smoked salmon and lobster if feeling flush

I'd love to see other people's fish pie recipes - whatcha got?

johnr1

Thanks guys, both those sound more like my idea of fish pie, while being very different to each other.
I suppose it was more the chillies than anything else, I love them on bland beef, but not on fish, they just cover up the flavour of the fish itself. An ex of mine destroyed a lovely piece of monk with them once, and ever since then, I don't think they have any place in fish cookery. Not that I'd be the expert or anything

Kalinda

johnr1 wrote: »

Thanks guys, both those sound more like my idea of fish pie, while being very different to each other.
I suppose it was more the chillies than anything else, I love them on bland beef, but not on fish, they just cover up the flavour of the fish itself. An ex of mine destroyed a lovely piece of monk with them once, and ever since then, I don't think they have any place in fish cookery. Not that I'd be the expert or anything

I adore Jamies fish pie and it is so healthy, no thick fattening sauces!

Alun

My recipe is basically the same as Darkgingers with a few minor differences. I add a bay leaf or two to the milk mixture when poaching the fish, omit the eggs and bacon but add a layer of wilted spinach before adding the topping. I usually use mash for the topping, but sometimes just use crushed baby potatoes still in their skins, and reserve a bit of the cheese sauce to pour over the top followed by some more grated cheese. You get a nice crunchy cheesy crust that way.

johnr1

Kalinda wrote: »

I adore Jamies fish pie and it is so healthy, no thick fattening sauces!

Fattening ain't a problem for me, I'm a greyhound. Also, there is 3/4 of a block of Cheddar in Jamies one, - is that not fattening ?