FOR YOUR INNER GLUTTON

It’s a well-known scientific fact that chilli con carne tastes better the day after it’s made. And the same could be said of any tomato-based left-overs. However, there’s another dish I made recently which surprisingly works really well the following day, when the flavours have had time to combine, coalesce and co-exist. That dish? Fish pie.

Last week I fired up a humongous fish pie and even then I had to use two casserole dishes to cope with the amount of ingredients. I had been cooking for eight people and as such, I needed goodly portions. True to form though, I over-estimated my fellow diners’ appetites and the resulting leftovers were not insignificant. “Would anyone like to take a doggy-bag away?” I almost asked. “Shut up, fool!” my inner glutton snapped. “These left-overs
will be amazing with a squirt of salad cream and cold garlic bread later on when everyone has gone home. Oh, yes.” And so they were.

There are some dishes that come with an enhanced enjoyment when you don’t have to make them. A fried breakfast for example is always more
enjoyable if someone makes it for you, as are home-made cookies or shortbread. Fish pie, I think, could be added to that list.

Last Sunday’s efforts, although not overly taxing, resulted in me scenting the pie every step of the cookery way, from the poaching of the fish to the mashing of the spuds.  All in all, I had lived the pie so when it came to sit down and dine with my guests, the notion for pie had long since departed. Not so with the leftovers later in the evening.

As is often the way with a Sunday evening, there can be a glass of wine left over from Saturday’s festivities and on Sunday past, there were two.

“Would anyone like a glass of wine?” I almost asked. “Shut up, fool! Jesus, is there no end to your stupidity?

Thus, with a glass of ice-cold sauvignon blanc to accompany a portion of combined, coalescing and co-existed fish pie (blasted in the microwave for less than a minute to take the cold air off) and with that squirt of salad cream, I was in leftover heaven. The pie had solidified as it had initially cooled and this, alongside both the wine and the salad cream to cut through the richness, made for a luxurious fire-side, Sunday evening treat.

“Would anyone like to try a bite of this left-over fish pie? It’s amazing.” I almost asked. “I give up.”

An all-inclusive pie – which is to say you don’t need extra spuds or greens – you could conceivably serve this pie up on its own. However, as is
the case with most things, extra peas and a side of garlic bread will take it to the next level.

INGREDIENTS
(for very large fish pie – serves eight)
2kg of spuds, peeled, halved, steamed (or boiled) and then mashed with goodly amounts of butter and
milk. And seasoned – don’t forget the seasoning

800ml of milk – or thereabouts – 800g of the fish of your choice (I used cod, smoked haddock and salmon)
1 egg yolk
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
150g of frozen peas (or two good
handfuls)
2 tbsps of butter
2 tbsps of plain flour
salt and pepper
chopped spring onions or chives
handful of grated cheddar (optional)

THE PLAN
Start by sorting out the spuds and when they’re mashed etc, get the fish on the go.

Place all of the fish in a medium saucepan and pour over the milk. Ideally, the milk will cover the fish. Turn the heat up full blast and as soon as it starts to bubble, take it off the heat. Drain the fish, retaining the fishy milk. Now set the fish aside, or place the pieces into the casserole dish(es) with the quartered hardboiled eggs and peas, while you make the sauce. Add the two tablespoons of butter to another medium saucepan and melt over a medium heat. When melted and beginning to sizzle, dump in the flour and stir around. Cook, stirring for about two minutes until it starts to smell biscuity and then start adding the milk, whisking as you go to get rid of lumps.

Keep adding milk and whisking until you have a nicely thick sauce (you may not need all of the fishy milk). When ready, add some salt
and pepper, tasting as you go, then add in the egg yolk and stir through.

Remove the sauce from the heat and pour all over the fish in the casserole dish(es). That done, scoop on the mash for the top of the pie and
rough up the top with a fork. Add the cheese, if using and then bake in a pre-heated oven (180C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s bubbling along the
sides and the top is crisping up irresistibly.

And that’s it, serve with your garlic bread, extra peas and top with the spring onions or chives – or both. Yum!