Crowd
pleasers – with “comfort” thrown in, hints and tips too to make
life easier.
Russian
Fish Pie – a reminiscence
This recipe takes me back – to my school days – now I've
refined it into a treat or even a dinner party dish!
Russian Fish Pie is not your everyday dish, it's a treat. Recent
research shows me that it is very similar to Coulibiac – also
Russian in origin. The original pie consisted of cod in a stiff
parsley sauce placed in the centre of a puff pastry square, glued
with egg wash and brought together to form four triangles all in one.
My preference is to use a mornay sauce and to use a variety of fish.
Here's my version :
Russian
Fish Pie
Serves
4
1 x
500g packet of puff pastry
Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4
Approximately 500g of mixed fish –
smoked cod loin, salmon, and prawns.
¾ pint/450 ml milk
¼ pint/150 ml cream (you don't have to use
cream, increase to 1pint of milk if preferred)
salt, 8 black pepper corns
bay leaf
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
150g (75g each) Red Leicester and Mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Roll out your pastry into a large square (approximately 24cm x
24cm) and place on a non stick (or greased and lined) baking sheet.
Poach your fish in the milk and cream, season with salt, black
peppercorns and bay leaf on a medium heat for 5/10 minutes, depending
on the thickness of the fillets. Remove the fish, flake, allow to
cool and set aside in a large bowl. Strain the liquor.
Melt the butter and add the flour to form the roux and cook for
2/3 minutes then gradually add the poaching liquor and cook the sauce
on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens (it
should coat the back of your spatula) add grated cheeses and mustard.
The sauce should be stiff. Set aside to cool.
Tip half the sauce over the flaked fish, add the prawns and
fold gently so that all your fish is coated. Reserve the remaining
half of the sauce to pour over the pie.
Using a slotted spoon place the mixture in the centre of the
pastry. Egg wash the edges and pinch together to form 4 triangles in
a square. Egg wash the completed pie and bake in the oven for 40
minutes – check after 30 minutes. Cut into 4 individual triangles
and serve.
Russian or not it's really moreish and the portions are generous
so think carefully about what you would serve with it – a spot of
fusion as an idea – a winter coleslaw I think would go very well –
the rich pastry and filling with a crispy, crunchy fresh slaw – you
could even kid yourself that it's healthy – ish! In reality it's
about as far from Russia as you'll ever get. The recipe probably
came from Coulibiac – a Russian dish consisting of salmon, rice,
mushrooms, onions and dill encased in pastry.
Notes :
I always make more mornay sauce than required for the fish –
it's an indulgence to have extra to pour over the pie.
An optional extra is to add chopped hard boiled eggs.
If you are using cooked, peeled prawns don't add them until you
are mixing your sauce with your cooled cooked fish.
The
pie fillings – the fish pie
This recipe is flexible – deliberately using a key ingredient
already baked, from your stash of ready cooked baked potatoes. You
can make the sauce ahead and bake the fish too, enabling you to pull
each element together without effort!
Fast
Fish Pie
Serves
4
2 large baking potatoes – stab carefully with a
paring knife, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at
180fan/200c/Gas 6 – already done!
Set aside to cool then slice thinly – skin on or
off – personal choice
500g of fresh fish, wrapped in foil and baked for
15 minutes
If you want to cook ahead you could bake your
fish for the last 15 minutes of your potato baking
time – don't forget to use your timer!
Cool the cooked fish and then place in a sealed
container ready to use
Your fish can be a mixture of whatever you choose – for example,
mix smoked haddock or cod with salmon and prawns – it's whatever
floats your boat – pardon the pun. If you're using cooked peeled
prawns as part of your 500g of fish then don't add them until you're
assembling your pie.
Next up the sauce for your fish :
Mornay
Sauce
Serves 4-6
40g unsalted butter
40g plain flour
600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed
150g mature Cheddar cheese
(or a combination of Cheddar and Gruyere)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently
for a minute, stirring and add the mustard – make sure you don't
brown the mixture. Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and
eventually bring to the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick.
Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese and
season. I'd taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese
– adjust accordingly. Your sauce should be a stiff consistency.
You can make the sauce ahead, fridge or freeze.
Assembly, plus hints and tips up next …
Fast
Fish Pie – assembly, plus hints and tips
When you're ready to assemble, preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas
6.
You can use foil trays – 24x24cms to serve 4 or smaller if
you want individual servings, otherwise a square casserole.
Open up your foiled fish and tip it into a large mixing bowl.
Break the fish into chunks, gently, then season with black pepper.
If you're using cooked, peeled prawns, now is the time to add
them – if you're using frozen prawns make sure they are properly
defrosted in the fridge and discard any defrosting liquor.
There will be jelly from the cooked fish – discard or include
– it's all flavour and will combine with the sauce you've made. If
you've not used any smoked fish then you may want to add a sprinkle
of salt. Add your Mornay sauce and fold to mix, gently.
Tip the mixture into your tray or casserole.
Add the sliced cooked potatoes, add a knob or two of butter and
ground black pepper. If you're feeling really decadent then sprinkle
grated Parmesan over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with vibrant fresh veggies, preferably steamed or, dare I
say, with a coleslaw or, if feeling really Northern, mushy peas!
A final word on fish.
Some
may say it's extravagant to use cod loin in a fish pie – they'd be
right. However if you're trying to convince your family to eat fish
it would be a good idea to use a fish that doesn't have any bones.
Using smoked fish with non-smoked gives a far less “fishy” taste.
Shop smart if you can and a reminder that Aldi's
range of fish – including cod and haddock loin too – is excellent
and the best value. The trick here is the delicious strong cheese
sauce. Tick, tick and tick!
Oh and by the way the Dijon mustard is optional but it does give
an excellent zing so worth a try even if you're not a fan of mustard
generally. It adds flavour without blowing your head off.
My final
tip - each of the elements for this filling and the pie as a whole
can be made ahead, all that remains is assembly, and whilst I
probably shouldn't be advocating eating supper in front of Netflix
all that's required is a
deep bowl and a fork – delicious comfort food!
Dust
off your slow cooker for delicious melt in the mouth chicken pie
filling!
One
of my old favourites – slow cook a
whole
chicken – an “instant” mid week roast
and
leftovers too
If
you're serving four as a main then you'll get sufficient
chicken
left to use for a soup
If
you're serving two as a main then you'll get sufficient
chicken
left to make a pie filling or shredded chicken
in
pasta and a sauce using the stock
Check out the bargains and deals – you'll usually find a
chicken! Rocket science it ain't but if you want to make the most of
your good deal with a chicken then let the slow cooker take the
strain and do the cooking for you - that's two massive ticks!
Slow
Cook a Whole Chicken
1 chicken – between 1.5kg – 1.75kg
1 chicken stock pot
2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot
generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic
Italian seasoning
Alternatively use two whole star anise in the cavity
and omit the herbs
Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot
with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the
herbs or add the whole star anise to the cavity and omit the herbs.
Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.
Strain
the stock and freeze the resultant liquid gold, strip the chicken,
keeping aside what you need and then bag and freeze the remainder.
One thing is for sure, slow cooking a whole chicken means you get
the best value and you'll use every morsel – it's the perfect food!
The
Pie
Here's the result :
Chicken
& Mushroom Pie
2 x slow cooked chicken breasts and/or
a mixture of leg and thigh meat -
400g in total, diced and placed in
a large bowl
250g chestnut mushrooms
Sauce Supreme – using your
chicken stock
Sliced cooked baked potatoes – 3 medium size
skin on or skin off, whichever you prefer
salt and black pepper and a dot or two of
butter
Preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.
Ensure that your chicken and stock have been taken from your
best friend (the freezer) and fridged overnight.
There are only two elements to cook – the mushrooms and the
sauce.
Heat a medium sized frying pan, slice the mushrooms and sauté
with 50g of unsalted butter adding salt and black pepper. Turn the
mushrooms – they'll produce water and the idea is that you use a
high heat to reduce the liquid. Add a glug of dry sherry or red wine
and reduce again. The sherry or wine enhances the flavour of the
mushrooms. Whilst I'm at it don't be afraid to use mushrooms that
might be past their “best before” date. They have more flavour.
Your sauce recipe :
15g unsalted butter
15g plain flour
½ tsp Dijon mustard
200ml double cream
salt and black pepper
Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and
whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes,
stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.
Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until
smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and
black pepper.
Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
You can make the sauce ahead and freeze it if more convenient –
it's every bit as good from the freezer, leaving only the mushrooms
to sauté on the day.
You have choices for your pie lid. I'm using the potatoes you
already have in your fridge from the “whilst I'm at it, I might as
well” applied principle.
You could use the ever popular puff pastry sheet, again taken from
your freezer stash. A third option would be to use the 3p topping
from The Tickle Tray, Panko crumbs, Parmesan and Parsley.
Add the mushrooms to the chicken and then fold through the sauce.
Pour the filling into a casserole measuring 23x23 cms approximately
or, in my case, a foil tray - layer the sliced potatoes over the top,
add a little salt and pepper and a dot or two of butter. Place in
the oven for 25 minutes and serve.
Feedback and photos on their way.
here's
the topping
… “the
chicken pie was to die for … sublime … and lovely”.
Definitely
worth adding to your culinary repertoire – keep it simple or zhuzh
it by serving in individual pots as a main course for a dinner party
– complicated it ain't!
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