Luxury fish pie

Using tinned lobster bisque is a wonderfully affordable way to ramp up flavour. If you can’t find any, swap the quantity for fish stock or milk.

Looking for something different to serve your guests at Christmas this year? Then our luxury fish pie will hit the spot.

This fish pie recipe is a luxurious take on the classic recipe and uses lobster bisque (we’ve used tinned for an affordable and speedy way to ramp up the flavour), haddock, cod and crayfish tails and is perfect for a special occasion.

It also has a creamy potato and cheese topping, so you’ll have a beautifully golden, bubbling pie on your table in no time. Plus, it comes in an only £4.03 per portion, making it a cost effective option for Christmas day.

Note: If you can’t find tinned lobster bisque just swap the quantity required for fish stock or milk.

Yields: 6

Prep Time: 30 mins

Process Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Calories per Serving: 553

Ingredients

For the filling

• 50 g

  butter

• 2

  leeks, finely chopped

• 1

  fennel bulb, finely chopped (discard central stem)

• 2 tsp.

  Dijon mustard

• 50 g

  plain flour

• 400 g

  tin lobster bisque, we used Baxters

• 300 mL

  milk

• 400 g

  skinless fish fillets, cut into 2cm chunks, we used smoked haddock and cod

• 250 g

  cooked crayfish tails (see GH tip)

For the topping

1kg floury potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

• 50 g

  butter

• 180 g

  cream cheese

• 25 g

  Gruyère, grated, optional

Directions

1. For the filling, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the leeks and fennel for 10min, until softened. Stir in the mustard and flour and cook for 1min. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the lobster bisque and milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the potatoes into a separate large pan (that has a lid) and cover with cold water. Cover with the lid and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10-15min, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and allow to steam dry in the colander for 5min.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Return potatoes to the empty pan and mash until smooth. Beat in the butter, cream cheese and plenty of seasoning. If you want to pipe the mash, transfer to a piping bag fitted with large plain or fluted nozzle (alternatively you can cut a roughly 2.5cm hole into a disposable piping bag). Set aside.
4. Stir the fish, crayfish tails and plenty of seasoning into the bisque sauce, then empty into a shallow ovenproof serving dish. Pipe/spoon the mash on to the filling. Sprinkle over the Gruyère, if using.
5. Cook in the oven for 30-40min, or until bubbling and golden. Serve with a crisp green salad or steamed greens, if you like.

Get ahead

Prepare to the end of step 4, allowing the bisque sauce to cool completely before adding the fish and crayfish. Loosely cover and chill. To serve, uncover and complete recipe, cooking for a little longer, if needed, until piping hot.

GH tip

To make this even more affordable but still luxe, swap the crayfish tails for cooked and peeled king prawns, or the smaller north Atlantic prawns, both available much more cheaply in the freezer aisle. No need to defrost before adding.

Per serving:

• Calories: 553
• Protein: 29g
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated: 16g
• Carbs: 48g
• Total sugars: 8g
• Fibre: 7g