Fish and Leek Pie

Star Q

i.  Non-Examplary Teachers

ii.  Differentiated Learning Workshop

iii.  Cheese Tartlets

My children always get the better of me when it comes to food, especially when they know that I am able to prepare the dishes that they want; be they from what I have stashed away at the back of my mind or by merely surfing through the net for recipes!

Sometimes my kids can be finicky eaters.  They will not want to eat the daily rice plus dishes that their mother has painstakingly prepared.  Of course they will let their mother know about this, if not all the food cooked by my missus will all go to waste.  What sometimes happen is my kids will want to eat something else other than rice, and when this happens, my missus will look at me!

I have for quite a long time now, wanted to try making fish pie and so today, to fulfill the needs and requests of these finicky eaters, I have decided to prepare it.  I have decided not to include prawns or crabs in the dish because I can't eat them.  So, it's just fish!

For the filling :

• 350g Dory fillet, cut into bite size portions
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced thinly
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup fish stock 
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 500ml fresh milk
• 3/4 cup grated Cheddar
• 3 tbs butter
• 3 tbs AP flour
• 1 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil in a pan then saute the leeks and onion until they become translucent.  Next, add in the garlic followed by the fish.  Stir once or twice to mix, then pour in the fish stock and add the white pepper and salt.  I purposely under-seasoned the filling because this will be mixed with the cheese sauce later.  Cook until almost all the moisture has evaporated and the fish has turned opaque.  Set aside.

For the cheese sauce, first, put the butter into a pot.  Stir in the flour to make a roux.  Pour in the milk and whisk briskly to avoid lumps.  Once mixture has thickened, take if off the heat and stir in the cheese and salt.  Check for taste.  Slightly over-season this cheese sauce by adding more grated cheese if you wish.  Then mix in the fish and leek mixture and pour into a baking dish.

For the topping :

• 5 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 250ml thick cream
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Cheddar

Boil the potatoes until very tender.  Once cooked, drain the potatoes, put them back in the pot and put the pot back on the stove with the heat turned off.  This is to remove any excess moisture in the potatoes.  Next mash the potatoes and mix in the cream, butter, salt and white pepper.  Stir until smooth.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 180 C.  Dollop tablespoonfuls of the mashed potato mixture onto the fish and leak filling until it is completely covered.  Sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until topping has turned golden brown.  Serve hot.