Smokies and Creamy Fish Pie with Prawns

Two gorgeous winter seafood dishes from our new book From Tide To Table, published in association with BIM (Epicure Press, €25 from bookshops; or from our website, P&P free).


Click here to read more about 'From Tide to Table' or to buy it (€25 free P&P)

Smokies

 
Smoked coley is more easily available than smoked haddock, but haddock is finer in both flavour and texture. It makes a delicious winter soup when the fishing boats can't get out in stormy weather but, for a mouth -watering hot starter or light meal, you really can’t beat this dish.
SERVES 4 as a starter, or 2 as a main course.
 

225g/8oz smoked haddock or cod or pollock (undyed if possible)
300ml/1/2 pint milk
a little finely chopped onion
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 firm ripe tomatoes
300ml/1/2 pint cream
50g/2oz red Cheddar cheese, grated chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
 
To Serve
freshly baked brown soda bread (recipes given in From Tide To Table)
 

 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5. Put the smoked haddock into a pan with the milk and onion; season with pepper, then bring slowly to the boil. Remove the fish from the milk immediately. Discard the milk; skin the fish, remove any bones and break the flesh up into pieces.
 
Plunge the tomatoes briefly into boiling water to loosen the skins, then peel, scoop out and discard the seeds and chop the flesh. Divide half of the tomato between four ramekin dishes. Add the smoked haddock, then put the remaining tomato on top. Divide the cream among the dishes, scatter the grated cheese on top and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Garnish each dish with a little parsley and serve at once with some brown bread.

Creamy Fish Pie with Prawns

Comfort food of the highest order, this fish pie doesn’t actually need to be baked in the oven as long as you use all the ingredients as soon as they are cooked. Experiment with a combination of fish, but don’t be tempted to use more than half the quantity of smoked fish or the strong flavour will overpower everything else.
SERVES 4-6

675g/11/2lb floury potatoes, such as Roosters, cut into chunks
600ml/1 pint milk
300ml/1/2 pint cream
1 bay leaf
900g/2lb mixed firm-fleshed fish fillets, such as haddock and cod (fresh or smoked and undyed), monkfish and/or salmon
175g/6oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 onion, finely chopped
75g/3oz plain flour
175ml/6fl oz dry white wine
2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
6 tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as flat leaf parsley, chives and dill
350g/12oz raw peeled Dublin Bay prawns, veins removed salt and freshly ground black pepper

HINT: To serve the fish pie if made in advance, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and the top is bubbling and lightly golden. (If using a fan-assisted oven, bake from cold at 160ºC.)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, place milk in a small saucepan with 225ml/8fl oz of the cream and the bay leaf. Add the fish fillets and poach for 3-5 minutes or until just tender, depending on their thickness. Transfer to a plate with a fish slice and set aside until they are cool enough to handle, then flake into bite-sized chunks; discarding the skin and any bones. Strain the poaching liquid through a sieve into a jug.

Melt 50g/2oz of the butter in a large non-stick pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until softened but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the white wine and allow to reduce, then add the reserved poaching liquid, a little at a time, whisking continuously after each addition. Reduce the heat and stir in the leeks. Simmer gently for 6-8 minutes until the leeks are softened and tender and the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the herbs and season to taste.

Drain the cooked potatoes and return to the pan for a couple of minutes to dry out, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent the potatoes sticking to the bottom. Mash the potatoes or pass through a potato ricer or vegetable mouli if you like a really smooth finish. Beat in the remaining butter and cream. Season to taste.

Lightly butter an ovenproof dish that is at least 30cm/12 inches in diameter and add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce. Scatter over the poached fish and the prawns, then spoon the remaining sauce on top to cover completely. Allow a light skin to form, then carefully spread over the mashed potatoes to cover completely. Smooth over with a palette knife and fluff up with a fork. Grill until completely heated through and the potato is bubbling and golden. Serve straight from the dish onto warmed plates at the table.

Click here to read more about 'From Tide to Table' or to buy it (€25 free P&P)