Creamy smoked haddock pie with a cheesy potato topping

Do you like smoked haddock? Then trust me you will love this dish, Serve with garden peas or mixed vegetables of you choice. Don’t forget to look for bargains at your local supermarket if they sell fresh fish then there are bargains to be had, Go on have a look you know you want to.

For the filling

800g x un-dyed smoked haddock cut into pieces or any firm white fish

300ml x milk

1 x garlic clove peeled leave whole (optional)

1 x bay leaf

6 x black peppercorns

40g x butter

40g x plain flour

100g x mild cheddar cheese grated

100ml x double cream

Juice of ½ lemon or 2 x tbsp dry white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Potato topping

800g x peeled potatoes cut into chunks 

40g x butter

100g x cheddar cheese grated and 50g x parmesan cheese grated mixed together

½ x tsp salt

Good pinch white pepper

Cook in a pre-heated oven 190c/gas mark5/375f for 30 minutes till golden brown

FILLING

Place the fish in a large pan add the garlic clove, peppercorns and bay leaf, pour on the milk and on a medium heat bring to a simmer, take of the heat and cover with a lid and leave for at least 1 hour.

Remove the fish from the milk, strain the milk through a sieve and reserve for the sauce, and discard the bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic.

Remove any skin and bones from the haddock and discard, flake the fish using your fingers this is a good way because if there is any remaining bones you will find them, set to one side while you make the sauce.

Place the butter in a pan and melt on a medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, take off the heat and with a hand whisk or wooden spoon gradually stir in the milk, place back on the heat and stir till the sauce thickens and starts to gently bubble, turn the heat down and simmer for 1 minute, take off the heat and stir in  the cheese, double cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix well, pour into a large oven proof dish and put to one side until you are ready to assemble the dish.

TOPPING

Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water, bring to boiling point turn the heat down and cook till potatoes are tender around 20 minutes, Drain the potatoes through a sieve return to the pan and over a medium heat dry the potatoes for a minute, take off the heat and mash the potatoes till smooth add the double cream and most of the cheese (reserve around a ¼ of the cheese to sprinkle on top of the potatoes) add the salt and pepper and mix well.

Using a dessert Spoon cover the fish with mashed potato start from the outside and work your way to the middle until the fish is covered with a potato spoon shaped topping, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Cheese & Onion pie made with cheese pastry

This is a deliciously light melt in your mouth pastry you will love this pie but be warned one slice is just not enough.

Cheese pastry

300g x plain flour

½ tsp x salt

½ tsp x English powdered mustard

Pinch Cayenne pepper

140g x lard cut into small pieces

140g x finely grated mature cheddar cheese

1 x egg yolk

2 x tbsp cold water

Milk or egg yolk to glaze

Sift the flour, salt , mustard and Cheyenne pepper into a bowl add the lard and rub with you finger tips till it resembles fine breadcrumbs (this can be done using a blender)

Mix in the cheese then add the egg yolk and water a little at a time until the pastry starts to clump together, lightly knead the pastry until it becomes smooth in texture wrap in cling film and put in the fridge until your ready to use it.

Cheese filling

25g x butter

2 x onions chopped

1 x tbsp water

300g mature cheddar cheese grated

2 x tbsp double cream or milk

2 x eggs lightly beaten

Pepper to taste

Melt the butter over a medium heat add the onion and cook for around 15 minutes, add the water and cook for a further 15 minutes and set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine the cheese, onion, egg and cream add the pepper and stir until well mixed.

Grease a 10 inch oven proof pie dish.

Divide the pastry making sure one half is slightly bigger, use this for the base and the smaller for the lid, Roll out the base pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the pie dish, and then spoon the cheese mixture on top, roll out the remaining pastry, brush the pie edges with water before placing the pastry lid on top, using the tip of a fork press to seal the pastry edge, brush the top with milk or egg yolk and with a pointed knife  make two slits in the pastry lid to let out the steam, place the pie on a baking tray and cook on  the middle shelf in a pre-heated oven 220C/425F/Gas mark 7 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, leave to cool down for 10 minutes before serving.

Monk fish and butterbean curry

 The first time I had monk fish was a regretable one, I was in portugal and saw barbecued monkfish on the menu the first mouthful was disgusting it was under cooked and tasted as if it had gone off this was around 15 years ago and I have not had it since so I thought it was about time I made freinds with the monk fish. 

1 x tsp oil

1 x large onion finely chopped

¼ x inch ginger grated

2 x cloves garlic

Spice mix

1 x tsp ground cumin

1 x tsp ground coriander

1 x tsp turmeric

1 x tsp chilli powder

1 x tsp paprika

1 x tsp garlic salt

1 x tsp gara masala

Little water

1 x tbsp tomato puree

200ml fish stock

150g x creamed coconut

800g x filleted and skinned monk fish cut into chunks

400g x tin butterbeans well drained

2 x tbsp greek yoghurt

1 x tbspChopped fresh coriander leaves

Salt and black pepper to taste

On a medium heat fry the onions and ginger in oil till the onions are translucent add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Mix the spices with a little water to make a paste add to the onion and cook for around five minutes add the tomato puree and cook for a further minute, add the fish stock and creamed coconut bring to a simmer add the fish and butterbeans bring back to a simmer and cook till fish is opaque in colour around 10-15 minutes gently stir in the Greek yoghurt and chopped coriander heat through season with salt and pepper and serve straight away with basmati rice and naan bread.