J Sheekey’s Fish Pie
Still the bestseller on the J Sheekey menu, their fish pie is rightly as famous as some of their customers. A true theatre dish. Some people add lobster, prawns or peas to their pie. We prefer this purer version. It’s the perfect winter warmer.
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
200g cod(or another white chunky fish such as halibut or monkfish), skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks
200g salmon, skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks
200g smoked haddock, skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks
½ small bunch parsley, chopped
for the sauce
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
125ml white wine
500ml fish stock
90ml double cream
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp anchovy essence
½, juiced lemon
salt and ground white pepper
for the topping
1kg floury potatoes, peeled, cooked and dry mashed
50g unslated butter
50ml milk
20g fresh white breadcrumbs
10g freshly grated parmesan
salt and ground white pepper
METHOD
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a low heat and gently stir in the flour. Gradually add the wine, stirring well.
Slowly add the fish stock (you can make your own but a good quality cube is fine) until you have a silky smooth sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. To finish, add the cream and briefly bring to the boil again.
Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy essence and lemon juice. (Add more mustard and Worcestershire sauce if you like it spicy.) Check seasoning.
Gently fold the fish and parsley into the hot sauce, and pour into a large pie dish, leaving a space of about 3cm from the top of the dish. Leave to cool, so the topping will sit on the sauce when piped.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / gas mark 5.
Mix butter and milk into the mashed potato until soft enough to spread over the fish mixture. Season.
Pipe or gently fork to cover the fish.Bake the fish pie for 30 minutes. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cheese, and bake for a further
10 minutes until golden.
Hint: The best all-round potatoes are King Edwards – good for mashing, roasting and frying.
J Sheekey FISH by Tim Hughes and Allan Jenkins and is published in hardback by Preface priced £25
