Chef’s Recipe : Fish Pie by Raymond Blanc

In celebration of National Seafood Week (4th – 11th October 2019) we bring you the ultimate British Classic of ‘Fish Pie’.  But this dish has been given a little added ‘je ne sais quoi’ by one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, Raymond Blanc. You can be as creative as you like with this dish by flavouring it with your favourite herbs. There is even no hard rule about which fish you make it with, simply choose whatever fish you prefer!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

• 100g Butter, unsalted
• 2 Shallots, small, peeled and sliced
• 80g Fennel, 1cm dice
• 80g Leeks, cut in half lengthways, washed and cut into 1cm slices
• 10 Mushrooms, button, washed and sliced
• 40g Flour, plain
• 320ml Milk, whole, organic
• 160ml Cream, whipping
• 1 Handful Parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Fish:

• 600g Pollock, 2cm dice (or any mixture of fish you like)

For the Topping:

• 1kg Potatoes, Desiree, peeled, cut 5cm, steamed until soft for 25-30 minutes
• 100ml Milk, whole, organic, warmed
• 100g Butter, unsalted, melted
• 4 pinches of Salt
• 4 turns of Pepper, white, finely ground

Method: 

For the Sauce: 

Steam the potatoes for the topping while you prepare the sauce. In a large sauté pan, soften the shallots, fennel, and leeks in the butter for 5 minutes with no colour. Add the sliced mushrooms and sweat for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute before gradually stirring in the milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, season and allow to cool, then finish with cream, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Place the fish into the bowl and pour over the sauce. Reserve in the fridge while you make the topping. 

Preparing the topping and baking: 

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Strain the cooked potatoes into a colander, letting the excess team escape for 2 – 3 minutes. Pass the potato through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher. Return the puree of potato into a saucepan, gradually pour and mix in the warm milk (retain a little). Stir in the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. If the puree is too firm, thin it down with the remaining milk. Allow to cool slightly before spooning into a piping bag and piping over the top of your fish pie. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Alternatively, dine at the amazing Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons over which Raymond Blanc presides. Dine with the Luxury Restaurant Club, the acclaimed association dedicated to gourmet dining at the UK’s best restaurants, and enjoy a 10% reduction from the food bill, see details. Simply download the Luxury Restaurant Guide free app here and follow steps to join club. Or simply use the guide to discover the most awarded restaurants where ever you are.

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD