So, yes to answer the question you may not have asked yourself, this is a creamy dish with fish - but yes it also turned out super tasty - so don't get all high and mighty like a creamy creamed pie full of fish is gross when you haven't even given it a chance.
Secondly, following directions is not my forte and apparently I am not the only with this problem as between the two of us we messed up several important steps - HOWEVER it still turned out fabulously glamorous (for a pie made up of fish) so, the mistakes I see as a good thing - ie, not making the following mistakes probably would turn out a fish pie that kicks all other fish pie asses.
James May’s Posh Fish Pie
Pie
2 tbsp butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 c dry white wine
1 c Noilly Prat or dry Vermouth
2 c fish stock
2 c heavy cream
1-2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Sea salt and pepper
1 ¾ lbs mix of white fish fillets (such as cod, haddock, monkfish, coley)
½ lb raw peeled king prawns
Squeeze of lemon juice
Few sprigs of thyme
Small handful of tarragon, flat leaf parsley and chervil leaves, chopped
Pie topping
5 large Desiree (red skinned) potatoes
Milk and butter, for mashing
2 large egg yolks
Method: How to make posh fish pie
1. Heat the butter in a pan and sweat the shallots and fennel until soft. Add the wine and vermouth and reduce by half. Add the stock and bubble away again until reduced by half. -
(MISTAKE NUMBER 1 - We accidentally poured in the cream and began to reduce it before reducing the stock - and then had to add the stock which I am convinced merely added to the length of time it took to reduce the sauce and did not disturb the flavor)
2. Pour in the cream and boil until reduced to a sauce like consistency. Strain through a sieve, discarding the shallot and fennel. Stir in the mustard, check for seasoning then leave to cool.
(MISTAKES 2 and 3 - We forgot to strain out the shallots and fennel - which might have been subconsciously intentional on my part at least as I wanted to include those flavors fully in the dish - however, probably this mistake fucked with the consistency of the pie - although I liked the way it turned out. Also, we forgot to add the mustard until the very end - kind of an after thought - we used dijon - I think it worked out just fine - and I think a stronger whole mustard would be even better)
3. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350˚ F. Check the fish for any small bones, removing any with tweezers, then cut into 3cm chunks. Poach the fish in enough water to cover, with a squeeze of lemon juice and the thyme, until slightly undercooked. Remove the fish from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon. Gently fold the prawns and fish into the sauce with a little extra lemon juice and chopped herbs. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.
4. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, and mash with a little milk and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, then either pipe the mash over the filling or spoon it over for a more rustic finish.
5. Bake the pie for about 20 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve with buttered petit pois or spinach. (We served it with the peas)
(NOT SO MUCH A MISTAKE - but we didn't peel the potatoes - and by not doing so - I don't think that they browned properly nor did they crisp up like we might have wanted- but it was STILL super delicious.)
Side note: This dish was also surprisingly tasty as leftovers - I thought the scallops would get tough - or the fish would be semi-icky and it was just as perfect as the first moment the pie landed on my tongue.
I highly suggest making this dish if you don't mind spending a few hours in the kitchen. I did not as we had a lovely time - although maybe it would have been faster if we had paid more attention to the directions and less time - chitchatting and boozing.
The End
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