Posh smoked fish pie

You can top the pie with cheesy mashed potato if you prefer and you may use any fish – but you need the smoked fish for flavour.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

200ml (7fl oz) white wine
300ml (½pt) double cream
2tbsp cornflour
large bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
250g (9oz) raw prawns
250g (9oz) hot smoked salmon
250g (9oz) smoked haddock
250g (9oz) hot smoked haddock
beaten egg, to glaze
350g (12oz) all-butter puff pastry
You will need: 1.5 litre (2 3/4pt) pie dish

1 Preheat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. Pour the wine into a pan, bring to the boil, then simmer until it reduces by half. Remove from the heat and add the cream. Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste, add to the cream mixture and bring back to the boil until thickened. Stir in the dill and add some black pepper.

2 Put all the fish in the pie dish and pour over the sauce. Brush the egg around the dish rim to help the pastry stick. Top with the pastry, then glaze and decorate as you like – we decorated with fish. Bake for 40 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serve with our French-style peas (see page 199).

Per serving: 680cals, 45g fat, 24g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrate

Will my fish pie freeze?
Fish pie is a perfect dish to have in your freezer. But just be careful when buying fish that has previously been frozen. You should never re-freeze cooked prawns, but you can buy raw, previously frozen ones, cook them yourself and then freeze. By doing this, you avoid the potential growth of dangerous bacteria. Check other shellfish, such as scallops and squid too, in case they have been previously frozen.

Good combos
Packs of smoked salmon trimmings are perfect for adding to a fish filling. Smoked cod is a good option too and you can always bulk out a large pie by adding whiting or hoki.

The menu to impress:
Twice-baked gruyere souffles
Duck breasts with grape and red wine sauce
Hazelnut meringue cake with Irish cream

The big celebration menu:
Watercress soup
Spice rub leg of lamb
Pear tart with chocolate sauce

The easy and stylish menu:
Grilled Halloumi with beetroot, parsley and lemon salad
Chocolate and cardamom pots

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