Good Ol' Fish Pie

It's Friday, and here in Great Britain that means Fish Day. So just for fun here is my recipe for a traditional Fish Pie. Always use what's fresh at the Fish Counter! They even had Samphire today, a green vegetable that grows on the marshes and tastes slightly salty, like the sea. I love that stuff.

Ingredients:

580 g Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

200 g Organic Salmon fillet

280 g Line caught Cod fillet

100 ml Milk

500 ml of your finest Water

1 Bayleaf

10 Peppercorns

1/2 Onion

2 Cloves

2 tbs plain Flour

1/2 tsp English Mustard

a few drops Worcester Sauce

50g Cheddar, grated

2 tbs Creme Fraiche

2 Leeks, chopped

300g frozen Spinach (defrosted)

Poach the fish in the Milk, Water, Bayleaf, Peppercorns, Cloves, Onion and a pinch of Sea Salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a lid and turn the heat off. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Strain the poaching liquer through a sieve and use to blanch the leeks.

Strain once again into a saucepan and keep the leeks aside.

Whisk the Flour into the cooking liquer to make the sauce.

Season to taste with 1 tbs Creme Fraiche, a little English Mustard, a few drops of Worcester Sauce, Salt and White Pepper.

Cook the Potatoes in salted boiling Water until soft, mash and stir in the leeks and 1 tbs Creme Fraiche.

Lay the Defrosted Spinach into the bottom of a baking dish.

Follow by flaking the fish in largish chunks all over. Pour over the Sauce and top with the Mashed Potato and Leek mixture. Finally sprinkle over the grated cheese. Leave the top rustic to encourage crispy bits.

Place into a preheated oven at 220C for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling along the side.

It's a good idea to place a baking sheet underneath, as the sauce may bubble over.

And there you have it. A Great British Classic Friday Night Dinner. Well, unless you're having Fish and Chips that is ;-)