This rich and creamy winter dish is found in various guises in all coastal areas of the British Isles and dates back at least until medieval times when they used to add sugar and spices and cover it in icing sugar.
Cornwall is credited with inventing stargazey pie – where sardines were added whole and ungutted, their heads poking out of the top – while Londoners had a love of eel pie.
Ingredients
- 400 g white fish filet, skin removed, cubed
- 400 g smoked haddock filet, skin removed, cubed
- 200 g large, cooked prawns, peeled
- 200 g frozen peas
- 600 ml full fat milk
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 100 g butter
- 50 g flour
- 50 g cheddar cheese
- Handful fresh parsley, stalks removed, roughly chopped
- 1 kg mashed potatoes
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 200ºC
- Saute the onion over a medium heat in a little butter until soft and golden
- Add the fish, prawns and peas and stir until the fish just changes colour, set aside
- Melt the butter until it starts to foam, then whisk in the flour to form a thick paste
- Gradually add the milk stirring all the time until you get a thick sauce, season to taste and stir through the fish mix together with the parsley
- Pour the lot into an ovenproof dish, top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with cheese
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden
Bounty
Bounty
