CANADIAN FISH PIE
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes - 8 to 10 medium yellow fleshed Ontario potatoes, 2 tbsp of butter, half cup of milk
Fish filling -
10 lrg BC spot prawns, 8 oz Lake Erie Pickerel, 6 oz of NS cold smoked haddock, 8 OZ of NS haddock 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 cup of whipping cream, 3 tbsp of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 tbsp of thyme, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 5 whole peppercorns, 4 bay leaves
Peel potatoes cover with water and a sprinkle of salt bring to a boil and simmer.
Cut fish into 1 inch pieces, shell spot prawns and devein. Place seafood in bowl and put to the side.
Dice the celery and one half of onion. Coarsely chop the other half of the onion Take large nonstick fry pan and place seafood and prawns in fry pan cover the whole surface. Turn burner on to simmer for a few minutes.
Pour cup of milk over fish and place bay leaves and 5 peppercorns and coarsely chopped half onion in milk.
Leave on simmer for approx 8 minutes (just enough so fish and prawns are beginning to turn opaque) Use a slotted spoon to gather all the fish out of pan and place in a bowl and set to the side. Put fry pan with milk and fish juice to the side.
Get another pan and dot the pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and heat till just till bubbling and place diced celery and onion in pan. Add thyme and nutmeg. Fry for approx 8 minutes until onion and celery are just translucent but still crunchy. Move pan to the side and bring fish milk pan to the front. Take peppercorns and bay leafed out and discard.
In a cup place 1/3 a cup of cream and 3 tablespoons of flour and whip until smooth and continue whipping slowly adding the rest of the cup of cream making sure to avoid lumps. When the flour cream mixture is fully combined turn the fish milk juice to simmer and whisk slowly adding the flour cream to the mix until sauce is thickened. Then add the onion and celery and toss into sauce. Turn off heat.
After approx 40 to 50 minutes potatoes should be cooked through. Grab a colander and place potatoes in and drain. Use a ricer to put potatoes through and put back into pot and finish off with potato masher adding remaining butter and milk. Mash till you are satisfied with the fluffy peaks.
Now place all fish in 8 by 8 inch pan and pour sauce generously over fish and prawns .Grind fresh pepper over mixture. Now evenly distribute mash potatoes over the fish. Put in oven on 350 for 30 minutes. Open oven and place a few pads of butter on mash potatoes and turn up to 400 to 450 to crisp up the top for 5 to 10 minute or until golden brown.
Turn off oven take pie out and let it sit for 10 and let the aroma travel through the house.