Andrew Rudd's Classic Fish Pie

Serves 5

Ingredients
  • 1 small onion, thickly sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 300ml double cream
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100g butter
  • 45g plain flour
  • 5 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1.25kg peeled floury potatoes
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 500g Seafood Mix (cod, smoked haddock, salmon)
  • 2 Cloves
  • 600ml Milk
  • Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
  • 300ml white wine
  • 3 leeks, thinly sliced
  • 45g plain flour
  • 5 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 egg yolk.
Method

Cooking Time: 2 hours (including 25 minutes preparation).

  1. Stud a couple of the onion slices with the cloves. Put the onion slices in a large pan with the bay leaf, 450ml of the milk, nutmeg, cream, seafood mix. Bring just to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes.
  2. Lift the fish out on to a plate and strain the cooking stock into a jug. When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into large flakes, discarding the skin and bones. Sprinkle it over the base of a shallow rectangular ovenproof dish.
  3. Hard-boil the eggs for just 8 minutes, then drain and leave to cool. Peel and cut them into chunky slices and arrange on top of the fish.
  4. Melt 60g butter in large saucepan, add leeks. Cook gently for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the wine and reserved cooking stock. Return it to the heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time.
  5. Add the lemon juice and leave it to simmer gently for 10 minutes to cook out the flour. Remove from the heat once more, stir in the parsley and season with nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
  6. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes. Drain, mash and add the rest of the butter and the egg yolk. Season with salt, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Beat in enough of the remaining milk to form a soft, spreadable mash.
  7. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  8. Spoon the potato over the filling and mark the surface with a fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until piping hot and golden brown.