Comfort food: Fish Pie

I don't think anyone can deny the comforting power of mashed potatoes - stodge and creaminess all in one! Not to mention the fact that there is a lot you can do to make it more interesting - add pesto, cheese, garlic, mustard and so on and on. However, one of my favourite uses for mash is as a pie topping - usually Shepard's pie, or in this case, fish pie!

This recipe is really easy and makes a massively comforting fish pie in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients:
fish pie mix (most supermarkets carry some kind of fish pie mix, the one I use being about 450g of fish. If you can't find this, just use a mixture of some white fish, some salmon (fresh) and some smoked fish)
500ml milk
50g butter
50g flour
400g potatoes
a little extra milk and butter for the mash
cheese for grating
salt and pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180/gas mark 4.
If you didn't get a fish pie mix, cut the fish into 3cm cubes and place in a saucepan. Cover with the milk and heat until the fish is cooked, about 5 minutes. Try not to let the milk boil as it will impair the flavour. Once the fish is cooked and flakes apart easily, fish (no pun intended!) it out of the milk with a slotted spoon and place it into a casserole dish. Pour the milk into a jug and wash out the pan.
Peel and chop the potatoes, then put them in a pan full of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. When the potatoes feel tender but not too sloppy, drain the water and pop them back in the pan. While the potatoes are on the boil, make the white sauce for the fish. Melt the butter in the pan over a low heat, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour to make a ball. Don't let this burn! Return to a low heat and add the milk, bit by bit, stirring it in thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Once all the milk is added, increase the temperature and let the mixture thicken, stirring all the while. Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour over the fish in the casserole dish. Mash the potatoes with the butter and a splash of milk, then spoon over the top of the fish-and-sauce mixture. Grate cheese over the top, and put in the oven for about 20 minutes to half an hour, until the top is lightly browned and crisp.
I usually enjoy the pie on it's own, but if you were feeling virtuous, it would go well with some steamed green beans, broccoli or peas. 

Music pairing - The Toy Hearts: Bring on the Swing