recipes

Smoked Fish, Cheese & Potato Bake

October 11

A slightly fancier finish to a traditional fish pie, this version has a scalloped potato topping above a creamy, cheesy smoked fish filling that is particularly delicious. I often think of fish pie as a weeknight dinner but with a dish like this, there’s no reason you couldn’t serve this as your Sunday centerpiece. Maybe add a few scallops or other shellfish for extra indulgence but I know our crew would happily devour this whenever we choose to serve.

Serves 4
1 hour

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes then gradually add the milk, stirring until you have a smooth thick sauce. Stir in the cream, most of the cheese and parsley. Season well.
2. Heat the oven to 190°/fan 170°c.
3. Slice the haddock & salmon into bite size pieces and put into a wide 1.2 litre ovenproof dish with the prawns. Pour in the sauce.
4. Thinly slice the potatoes and blanch in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes then rinse and arrange over the top of the pie. Brush with melted butter and scatter the rest of the cheese over the top and cook for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.
5. For the salad, toss the baby gem with the watercress and chives. Blend the lemon juice with seasoning and then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and pour over the salad. Serve with the fish bake.

1/4 stick unsalted butter, plus a little more, melted, to brush

1oz plain flour

10fl oz whole milk

5fl oz double cream

2oz grated gruyere

2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley

17.6oz smoked haddock

10.6oz lightly smoked salmon fillets

6oz atlantic peeled prawns

14oz red skinned potatoes, washed

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

2 baby gems, leaves separated

Large handful watercress leaves

1 tbsp snipped chives

Juice of a lemon

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

30g unsalted butter, plus a little more, melted, to brush

30g plain flour

300ml whole milk

150ml double cream

60g grated gruyere