whine & dine

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This Christmas was quiet for us – a couple of small dinners with close friends but no huge parties, mostly due to the majority of our friends being back (or permanently) in Singapore, so it was a pretty tame affair. The weather’s also been pretty erratic, with Christmas Day itself being rather chilly, which – as usual – puts me in the mood staying home and inhaling rich stews and pies, thick gravies, and starchy sides.

I’ve also made mention, in the past, of the bunny’s proclivity towards British food. Having spent the majority of the last few months out of HK, I haven’t had that many opportunities to mess about in the kitchen (apart from that rather rabid week in November when I first got back from Singapore with my Sous Vide Supreme in tow). Since, yet again, I failed to give bunny her Christmas turkey this year, I decided to try to make up for it by making another of her favourites – fish pie.

Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of fish pie. I love pies, in most shapes and forms, no matter the filling, and regardless of whether they’re encased in pastry, potato, topped with dumplings, or some combination of the three. But fish to me is something I’ve always preferred done the Asian way. To be precise, I like it raw – sashimi will always hold a special place in my heart – or cooked in the Cantonese style – as fresh as humanly possible, and steamed with a little soy, sesame oil, ginger, and julienned scallion. To dump a pile of seafood of questionable freshness in a rich cream sauce and smother it all with piles of dry, gluey potato, just never made any sense to me. (It also sounds like a recipe for disaster, considering my tantrum-throwing tummy.) But bunny loves the stuff, so I decided to try and make a version that I could love too. So with a little research and the cobbling together of a bunch of recipes (when does one ever create a brand new recipe these days?) and methods I found online, I found success this Christmas.

If any of you, like me, aren’t fans of fish pie, but are considering giving it another shot, take heart – there’s none of that off-putting fishy smell about this pie at all. Instead, you’ve got meaty chunks of fish and prawns, swathed in a velvety, unctuous sauce, sweetened with caramelised leek. The slightest tang of fresh lemon brightens the flavour palate of this hearty dish, both in the sauce and in the fluffy potato topping. And, best of all, it only took me about 20 minutes to put together – including a first aid pit stop that I had to take when I very cleverly sliced my finger open on some broken glass – before I could chuck the whole casserole in the oven, so it’s perfect for a quick weeknight fix too.

Oh – and before I forget – here’s wishing all of you a delightfully Happy Christmas, and a Merry New Year. May 2011 be the year we all finally learn to keep our New Years’ Resolutions. :)

Fish Pie

250g white fish fillets (e.g. dory, haddock)
250g salmon fillets
10 prawns, shelled
1 leek
1 medium carrot
150-200g baby spinach, washed & spun
30g unsalted butter
200g whipping cream
S+P
1 lemon
150g cheddar cheese, grated
a small handful of soft herbs like tarragon, dill, or Italian parsley

4 russet potatoes
100g unsalted butter
50g cream

Preheat the oven to 180ºC with a rack in the middle.

Finely chop the leeks and carrots. Sauté in butter until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add in spinach, gently stir to wilt, then add in cream. Season well, allow to reduce until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

While the leeks and carrots are sautéing, peel potatoes, and chop them into roughly 1-inch cubes. Bring to boil in plenty of salted water, and cook for about 8 minutes (until a knife inserted into the largest piece meets no resistance). Drain, return to pan, and heat gently for 30 seconds – 1 minute to further dehydrate. Season with salt, and mash with butter and cream, then grate in the zest of one lemon and fold to incorporate and distribute evenly.

Roughly chop up the fish and prawns (you want them to still be in fairly big chunks), and season well with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a deep, medium-sized casserole. Add in the juice of one lemon, the herbs – roughly chopped, and your grated cheese. Tip in the cream sauce and vegetables once ready, and gently toss to mix. Top with mashed potatoes, fluffing the top and smearing it all the way to the edges, then bake for 30-35 minutes in your preheated oven, until bubbling, and the mashed potato topping is golden brown and crisp in some bits.

Serve immediately, with a mixed garden salad or some buttered peas. Any leftovers will keep, well-wrapped, for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Yield: Serves 4