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Comforting Fish Pie

Source of Recipe

From "The Farmette Cookbook" by Imen McDonnell


Recipe Introduction

"The weather is a significant ingredient in the recipe of Irish life; it is always in the background, influencing everything on some level—like a family member with a strong will and personality. There are times when it is so wet and fierce that the screaming wind will keep you up at night no matter how exhausted you are from a day of moving cattle. I discovered early on that the Irish embrace the weather with humor. They chat about it tirelessly, always acknowledging and even damning the rain and gray, but if it's sunny for more than three days, fear sets in and the grave grumbling of too much heat commences. You will hear weather talk no matter where you go, and it is more than just chatter—it is embedded into the charming fabric of Irish life. When I first moved here, I felt a chill in my bones for at least a year. Even when it wasn't raining, everything felt damp. No matter how warmly I dressed, I felt cold. My favorite thing to do was wrap up in a warm blanket in the evenings in front of a roaring turf fire with Richard. We ate fish pie fresh from the oven and sipped mugs of hot tea. To this day, that soothing dish topped with mashed potato still makes me feel warm—inside and out. The classic Irish fish pie is usually a blend of fresh and smoked seafood and fish in a velvety cream sauce topped with fluffy, floury mashed potatoes. You can often find handy prepared seafood mix/fish pie portions at fishmongers and supermarket fish counters."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 pounds floury potatoes, such as Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, or King Edwards
â—¦ ¼ cup butter
â—¦ Splash of milk
â—¦ Salt and pepper, to taste
â—¦ 2 cups fish stock
â—¦ ½ cup white wine
â—¦ Small bunch of parsley, separated into leaves and stalks
â—¦ ¾ pound white fish fillets and/or salmon fillets
â—¦ ¾ pound smoked white fish
â—¦ ½ pound small peeled prawns
â—¦ ¼ cup butter
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
â—¦ ½ cup grated carrot


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Peel the potatoes and dice into even small chunks. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes, and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes. Return them to the pot and mash until smooth; beat in the butter and milk. Season well with salt and pepper; set aside.

Put the fish stock, wine, and parsley stalks into a large pan; bring to a simmer. Add the prawns and all the fish, and simmer for 5 minutes. Lift the prawns and fish out with a slotted spoon, remove any skin, and cut into large chunks. Discard the parsley stalks.

Melt the butter in a medium pan over low heat, then whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Gradually stir in the fish stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the cream, parsley leaves, and carrots; season to taste. Add the fish and prawns, and toss to coat. Place the seafood and sauce in a baking dish, and top with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden. Spoon generous portions onto each plate, and serve with braised greens and glasses of sauvignon blanc.

Serves 4