Fish Pie

To the uninitiated, fish pie has an uninviting name and reputation. But this is fish that is gently poached, then swathed in a white sauce and topped with buttery mashed potatoes and finished to a heat-bronzed finish in the oven. It is a dish good for children, but can be made into unapologetic dinner-party fare by poaching the fish in a little white wine, making the white sauce with light cream rather than milk and infusing all of it with the eggy-lemony kiss of saffron. It’s an hour well worth spending.

Ingredients

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• ½ cup white wine
• Large pinch salt
• 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, fresh thyme, parsley, celery and leek, tied together in cheesecloth)
• 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
• 8 ounces skinless cod fillets
• 8 ounces skinless haddock fillets
• 8 ounces skinless salmon fillets
• ½ teaspoon powdered saffron or 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads steeped in 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 1 cup light cream or as needed
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of mace
• 5 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp
• Freshly grated nutmeg

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    841 calories; 50 grams fat; 28 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 272 milligrams cholesterol; 377 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. In a deep covered skillet, combine carrot, wine, salt, bouquet garni and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Cook until soft, and mash (preferably with a potato ricer) with 6 tablespoons butter. Set aside.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put cod and haddock into skillet with carrot, cover, and bring to a simmer. Poach for 3 minutes. Transfer fish to a plate, and add salmon to skillet. Poach for 3 minutes, and transfer salmon to plate with cod and haddock. Discard carrot and reserve bouquet garni. Strain liquid into a measuring cup, add saffron and add enough cream to make 2 cups liquid.
4. Place a saucepan over low heat, and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour and mace. Stir for a few minutes; remove pan from heat. Slowly stir in cream mixture, beating until smooth. Return pan to heat and add reserved bouquet garni. Stir until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan, and distribute cooked fish evenly, breaking into large chunks as necessary. Scatter shrimp evenly in pan. Discard bouquet garni, and pour sauce over all.
6. Spread mashed potato evenly over top, covering edges so sauce will not bubble over. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over top of pie, and place pan on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is hot and potatoes are flecked with gold, 20 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

1 hour