Summer Fish Pie

 Summer Fish Pie

A wonderfully light and summery fish pie, absolutely delicious!

Serves 4

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the fish

300g/10½oz cod loin, skin removed, cut into chunks

200g/7oz salmon steak, cut into chunks

200g/7oz raw king prawns, heads and shell removed

1 lemon, juice, zest of ½ lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

For the sauce

50g/2oz butter

1 onion, chopped

½ lemon, zest only

3 tbsp plain flour

175ml/6fl oz milk

125ml/4fl oz double cream

175ml/6fl oz dry white wine

2 tbsp crème fraîche

4 boiled eggs, peeled, halved

100g/3½oz asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed, cut into 5cm/2in lengths

75g/3oz fresh peas

For the pastry

500g/1lb 1oz ready-made puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2.      For the fish, place the salmon, cod and prawns into a bowl, add the lemon juice and zest and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chives, stir well and set aside to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3.      Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until softened.  Stir in the lemon zest and flour and mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, then slowly stir in the milk, cream and then white wine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the crème fraîche and season to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.      Pour the sauce over the fish and stir gently until well combined. Spoon half of the fish into a large pie dish, add the eggs, asparagus and peas, then top with the remaining fish mixture.

5.      For the pastry, roll the puff pastry out thinly until large enough to cover the pie dish. Brush a little beaten egg around the rim of the pie dish. Place the pastry on top of the dish, crimp the edges with a fork and trim off any excess pastry.

6.      Brush the pastry with beaten egg.  Make fish shapes with the excess pastry and place onto the pie with a little more beaten egg.

7.      Cut a steam hole in the top of the pie and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the pastry is risen and golden-brown and the pie filling is bubbling.