FISH PIE OR SEAFOOD PIE

Fish pie is another of those recipes where everyone has "the best". I think it's really just how you like them. I like them stuffed with more seafood than fish, but others may not and just want "fish"pie with nothing else. Whatever you want, be gentle and don't overcook and season well, it usually needs a fair bit. Also, the topping, traditionally mashed potato, but no reason not to use pastry, buttered breadcrumbs or pieces of bread. Again, this recipe isn't set in stone,change it around to suit .

You'll need 2-3 hard boiled eggs and  1 cup or more (depending on size of dish) of mashed potato (if using) and a bouquet of herbs, bay leaf, parsley, chives and a bit of lemon peel, so do all  this first.

Amounts are approximate

400gms white fish, (cheap, chunky, something like monkfish, hapuka,groper)
100gms smoked fish fillets
1 1/2 cups of milk (or more as needed)
Pinch of cayenne
50gms of butter
1 thinly sliced leek
1/4 cup plain flour
extra seafood if using, prawns,calamari rings or cut how you want,scallops,surimi.

Heat oven 180c.
Put fish and smoked fish in a saucepan or frypan. Add milk, herbs and cayenne. Bring up to simmer for maybe 2 minutes. Turn off and remove fish to a plate, leave milk and herbs to stand.
Melt butter in another large pan, add leaks, cook stirring , on low heat, until leeks are soft and transparent. Stir in flour so it all comes to a paste. Gradually add milk (discarding herbs), and whisk while bringing back to boil , until sauce is thick and smooth. Add more milk if needed, but keep it quite thick. Add salt and pepper.
Chop fish into largeish chunks and scatter into buttered dish with roughly chopped eggs. . Add seafood to sauce (raw) with a little chopped parsley and pour over fish. Mix carefully, don't overfill dish. Put dish on oven tray, it does tend to spill over.
Add layer of mashed potato, (not too much) or other topping. and fluff up with fork. Dot with a little extra butter and cook until crisp and brown.

If using pastry, cook at 220c for about 25-30 minutes, turning down to 180c if browning too quickly.