500gFish Pie mix - should include smoked and white fish.
1tspGround Nutmeg
1Celery stickbroken into 2cm pieces
1Onion - Smallpeeled and halved
1Onion - Mediumfinely chopped
25gFlour
500mllitres Milk 75g Butter
4Rashers dry-curedsmoked back bacon, chopped. 50g flour
Freshly ground black pepper
2tbspParsley - chopped or dried
40gButter
700gPotatoes
Instructions
Remove any bones from the fish and cut into chunks about 2.5cm wide if not already done.
Put the fish in a saucepan with half the nutmeg, celery and the onion half, then pour in the milk. Place over a moderate heat and let the milk come to simmering point. Make sure the fish gets covered by the milk. Once it's started to simmer, take the saucepan off the heat set aside to cool.
When the milk and fish have cooled quite a bit, strain off the milk into a jug using a sieve. Pick out and the celery and onion and dump them leaving just the fish in the sieve.
Rinse the sausepan and melt the butter and fry the chopped onion and bacon together until the onion is soft and transparent.
Stir in the flour and let this cook for a couple of minutes before gradually adding the strained milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth sauce. Careful it doesn't burn. Boil gently for 1 minute before removing the pan from the heat. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and the rest of the nutmeg.
Gently stir in the cooked pieces of fish, then the chopped parsley and pour this mixture into an ovenproof dish. Set aside to cool.
Time to peel and cube the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until soft. Make your mash in whatever way you normally so with butter and milk.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Cover the fish base evenly with the mashed potatoes and run a fork across the surface to create lines. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese and some fresh black pepper.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes or so and enjoy.
Notes
Originally by Claire Macdonald from Great Food Live where it had mace and a bit more milk.