FESTIVE FISH PIE WITH WHITE WINE SAUCE

An alternative - or supplementary - Christmas main course...Luxury Fish Pie

Festive Fish Pie with Lettuce Wedges & Thousand Island Dressing
'Lovely & creamy; the wine makes it very festive.'

Whether you splurge on fresh fish or opt for supermarket frozen mixed fish, this gorgeous fish pie will please guests at any festive table. 

It's the sauce that makes the pie so lovely  - enlivened with white wine and unctuous with dairy or vegan cream. 

67 loves the pie's versatility -- it can be topped with a snow-like layer of mashed potatoes, puff pastry (home-made or store bought) or (pictured) golden croutons, crispy & crunchy, one side bathed in white wine sauce.

Cost: min £6.50'ish

Feeds: 2-4

Ingredients:

White Wine Sauce

30gm/1 generous oz butter or half butter/half olive oil or vegan butter

1 med onion finely diced or equivalent thinly sliced green of scallions

2 cloves garlic, grated (opt)

1/2 small fennel (or 2 sticks peeled well-washed celery), in small dice 

3 tb flour

2 tb Dijon mustard

1/2 cup good stock (fresh pref but granules are fine)

1 generous glass white wine

250ml dairy or vegan single cream

2 tb coarsely chopped parsley

1 tb coarsely chopped dill (opt)

450gm/15.8oz mixed fish: cod, haddock, salmon in large bite sized pieces

generous handful shrimp (opt)

1.5 tsp lemon zest

1.5 tbsp lemon juice

Croutons:

225gm/8oz stale sourdough or other bread, in 1.5 inch cubes

2 tb good olive oil

Method:

Can be done a day ahead:

FISH: fresh - blanch 2 mins in a pot of boiling water; drain; set aside

         frozen - defrost and rinse once; drain and set aside

WHITE WINE SAUCE

1. Heat fat in medium saucepan over medium heat; add onions, garlic, fennel/celery; sauté without colouring until onions are transluscent & tender - a few mins
2. Stir in flour; cook for a couple of mins until toasty and smelling nice stirring occasionally; add mustard, combine 
3. Off heat, gradually stir in stock and wine, scraping at the bottom to include baked on goodness
4. Return to stovetop; add cream; cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken - 5 mins.  The mixture should be the thickness of double cream - if not; mix a tablespoon of corn starch or rice flour in a tablespoon of cold water and stir in.  Don't go overboard; the sauce will thicken in the oven.  Take off heat.  Cool at least 15 mins.  If refrigerating overnight, let cool 1 hour before putting in the fridge

On day of serving:

Croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
2. Toss bread cubes in oil, distributing evenly
3. Spread out on a tray large enough to avoid overcrowding
4. Bake 7-10 mins until brown & crispy

Assembly 

1. Generously grease a ceramic baking dish about 8"x8"/20-cmx20cm 
2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F
3. Dry fish with paper towels, season lightly with salt & pepper; scatter over lemon zest; add to room temperature sauce, gently stir in lemon juice and herbs without breaking up the fish; pour into baking dish
4. Scatter croutons over the top, pushing them slightly below the surface of the pie OR cover with mashed potatoes or pastry
5. Bake 25-30 mins; rest 5 minutes before serving

Comments:

'I've never had anything like this before and wasn't sure about it at all but counted to 3 and took a huge mouthful. It was so enjoyable I ended up eating nearly half of it by myself!' Young carer of retired Priest

'The croutons were a lovely touch - and a delightful frugal one - but next time I would probably go with mash or pastry.' Retired writer

Tips:

67 added a handful of calamari along with the prawns which pumped up texture and flavour

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission