Cooks - how can I make fish pie a little tastier?!
My usual technique of putting the fish in a creamy white sauce makes the dish a bit too bland for my husband's taste - any suggestions as to how I can give it a more interesting flavour!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Try adding herbs or a little paprika!. Alternatively add prawns, hard boiled eggs, peas, chopped carrots or sweetcorn!. You could also use some garlic cream chese in the sauce and perhaps use sweet potatoes as the mash (or add carrots and parsnips to normal potato mash for the topping)!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Add Asian fish sauce for extra salty/fishy flavour!. Or vegetables for more texture!. Potato goes well in fish pie, do you cube it in the pie with a pastry lid, or have it mashed on top with grilled cheese over it!? You could experiment with different herbs and spices, eg!. saffron, or why not experiment with different fish pie recipes altogether! also, you could use several types of different textured seafood instead of just one whitefish; like mussels, scallops, calamari, octopus, salmon, a firm white fish and a flakey one!. A final thing, with white sauce, when in doubt, add more cheese! (Or salt & pepper!.) Happy cooking!Www@FoodAQ@Com
I fry an onion, then add the cooked fish, about halve a tablespoon of mustard, some mix veggies, quite a bit of parsley some grated cheese and last but not least i add a tin of creamed mushrooms!. Makes it so tasty!. Instead of using cream!.:) Oh and loads of black pepper!. Take note, i cook the veggies before i add them!.
When i make my mash, i mash the potato's well, i add butter, salt and pepper and a bit of nutmeg as well as halve a teaspoon of baking powder then i add the milk and beat !. Makes the mash light and fluffy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
When i make my mash, i mash the potato's well, i add butter, salt and pepper and a bit of nutmeg as well as halve a teaspoon of baking powder then i add the milk and beat !. Makes the mash light and fluffy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
FISH PIE
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
375g of old potatoes*
1 onion
250ml of water
? of a teaspoon of salt
250ml of milk
350g of white fish**
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
? a tablespoon of parsley
Salt and ground pepper to taste
? a tablespoon of butter
? a tablespoon of milk
Ground pepper to taste
METHOD
Peel the potatoes and chop them into quarters!. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces!.
Put the water and salt into a saucepan on a medium heat!. Add the potatoes!. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering)!. Put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until soft!. Check the water level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out!.
While the potatoes are cooking, put the 250ml of milk, fish and onion into a frying pan on a medium heat!. Cook for about 10 minutes until the fish is firm and opaque!.
Strain the milk through a sieve or colander into a bowl!. Put the fish and onion onto a plate!. Break the fish into small pieces!. Throw away the skin and bones!.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the ? a tablespoon of butter and the ? a tablespoon of milk until it is smooth and lump free!. Season with the pepper!.
Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into the saucepan the fish was cooked in on a medium heat!. Melt the butter!. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring all the time!. Take off the heat!. Add the milk the fish was cooked in a bit at a time!. Stir each time to make sure it is smooth!. When all the milk has been added, put the pan back on the heat!. Bring to the boil!. Keep stirring!. Turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering)!. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time!.
Add the fish, onions and parsley and stir!. Season with the pepper!.
Put the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish!. Level off the surface!. Put the mashed potato on top!. Spread to cover the fish mixture!. Make artistic swirls in the mashed potato!. This increases the surface area and makes the top crisper!.
Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes until golden on top!.
ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES
If you must, use a packet of white or parsley sauce mix according to the instructions on the packet, but substitute some of the liquid for the milk the fish was cooked in!.
Use 100g of cooked prawns instead of 100g of the fish and add them to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie!. Add a chopped hard-boiled egg to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie!.
Sprinkle 50g of grated Cheddar cheese on top of the potato, or even into it as it being mashed!.
TIPS
The trick with the sauce is to keep stirring!.
* New potatoes make rubbish mashed potato!. Use old ones like King Edward’s or Desiree Reds!.
** Use cod, coley, haddock, hake, ling, plaice, pollack or whiting fillets!. Use smoked and/or dyed fish, because smoked fish tastes nice and dyed fish looks pretty!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
375g of old potatoes*
1 onion
250ml of water
? of a teaspoon of salt
250ml of milk
350g of white fish**
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
? a tablespoon of parsley
Salt and ground pepper to taste
? a tablespoon of butter
? a tablespoon of milk
Ground pepper to taste
METHOD
Peel the potatoes and chop them into quarters!. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces!.
Put the water and salt into a saucepan on a medium heat!. Add the potatoes!. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering)!. Put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until soft!. Check the water level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out!.
While the potatoes are cooking, put the 250ml of milk, fish and onion into a frying pan on a medium heat!. Cook for about 10 minutes until the fish is firm and opaque!.
Strain the milk through a sieve or colander into a bowl!. Put the fish and onion onto a plate!. Break the fish into small pieces!. Throw away the skin and bones!.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the ? a tablespoon of butter and the ? a tablespoon of milk until it is smooth and lump free!. Season with the pepper!.
Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into the saucepan the fish was cooked in on a medium heat!. Melt the butter!. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring all the time!. Take off the heat!. Add the milk the fish was cooked in a bit at a time!. Stir each time to make sure it is smooth!. When all the milk has been added, put the pan back on the heat!. Bring to the boil!. Keep stirring!. Turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering)!. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time!.
Add the fish, onions and parsley and stir!. Season with the pepper!.
Put the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish!. Level off the surface!. Put the mashed potato on top!. Spread to cover the fish mixture!. Make artistic swirls in the mashed potato!. This increases the surface area and makes the top crisper!.
Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes until golden on top!.
ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES
If you must, use a packet of white or parsley sauce mix according to the instructions on the packet, but substitute some of the liquid for the milk the fish was cooked in!.
Use 100g of cooked prawns instead of 100g of the fish and add them to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie!. Add a chopped hard-boiled egg to the fish mixture when you assemble the pie!.
Sprinkle 50g of grated Cheddar cheese on top of the potato, or even into it as it being mashed!.
TIPS
The trick with the sauce is to keep stirring!.
* New potatoes make rubbish mashed potato!. Use old ones like King Edward’s or Desiree Reds!.
** Use cod, coley, haddock, hake, ling, plaice, pollack or whiting fillets!. Use smoked and/or dyed fish, because smoked fish tastes nice and dyed fish looks pretty!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Add a little garlic and either french or English mustard to the sauce!. I always use fresh parsley too, which gives a richer flavour!.
I occasionally add dried fried onions as a topping too, occasionally!. You can buy them in most supermarkets!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I occasionally add dried fried onions as a topping too, occasionally!. You can buy them in most supermarkets!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I always poach the fish in milk with a shredded leek added, then use the milk (and leek) to make the white sauce!. Additionally I use smoked haddock, which gives a really strong flavour!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Try a little mashed red lump-fish roe in the sauce, or some tarragon!. Always parsley, you have to have parsley in it!. Get a pot from the supermarket & grow it on your window-ledgeWww@FoodAQ@Com
try adding chopped hard boiled eggs, chopped tomatoes and a good amount of seasoning, using cream instead of milk in the sauce will help too!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I like chopped parsley or dill squeeze of lemon cracked black pepper and some petit pois peas to add colour and texture good luck xxxWww@FoodAQ@Com
A little chopped fresh dill would be nice!.
Or maybe some mild cheese melted into the sauce!.
Or a spoon of dijon mustard!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Or maybe some mild cheese melted into the sauce!.
Or a spoon of dijon mustard!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
caramelize some onions and add some marjoram to the white sauceWww@FoodAQ@Com
poach the fish in white wine water then use this stock to make the white sauce with milk and fresh dill and salt pepperWww@FoodAQ@Com
anchovy sauceWww@FoodAQ@Com
try adding sweetcorn & hard-boiled egg :)Www@FoodAQ@Com
add a little splash of dry vermouth to the sauce!.!.(vermouth in case yer don' know, dry martini, noilly prat etc!.)Www@FoodAQ@Com
made one weekend used salmon,cod and smoked haddock an onion and a leek was delishWww@FoodAQ@Com