Luxury Fish Pie
Serves 6
'Capers AND gherkins?', asked my wife. 'You can do it with one or the other but not both!' Even de-gherkined, it was still fantastic. This recipe was inspired by Delia Smith's version in her book, Winter Collection.
Ingredients
- About one kilo of misshapes including some superior fish such as halibut and turbot. Probably some smoked haddock too (choose golden bullets or steaks and skin them after
- 180ml/6 fl oz dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 110g/4 oz butter
- 55g/2 oz plain flour
- 2 tbsps creme fraiche
- 5 pickled gherkins
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 dsp chopped fresh dill
- Salt & pepper
- 900g/2lb Désirée potatoes
- 1 tbsp pickled capers
- 75g/3oz cheddar cheese, grated.
Method
- Defrost then drain the fish. Drain, rinse and chop the gherkins and capers.
- Make sure the potatoes are all the same size, cutting large ones in two. Bring to boil, cook for 12 mins. Drain.
- Put wine and stock in a pan with bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Bring to poaching temperature (just about touchable - not boiling!). Add fish for five minutes. Remove fish. Strip away any skin and bone (but you won't find any on our misshapes). Strain liquid through a sieve.
- Melt half the butter in a pan. Stir in flour. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in strained stock. Turn heat down and cook for further 5 minutes. Stir in gherkins, creme fraiche, parsley and dill. Season to taste.
- Grate potatoes (result beats mashing!) and combine with rest of butter. Stir in capers.
- Combine all fish and sauce in oven proof dish. Add potato topping and finally the cheese. Bake at 220C / 425F / Gas 7 for 35 minutes.
