Recipe from 'Fish' book in The Telegraph

​The Telegraph
30 April 2016

​The best fish recipes
It's healthy, quick to cook, versatile and most importantly, delicious - no wonder so many chefs say that fish is their favourite food to serve up. ​Here, we've gathered the very best fish recipes, whether you're in the mood for a quick midweek salad or an indulgent Saturday night curry. Buy the freshest you can, and always try to make sure your fish is sustainable. ​​Happy eating.

​​Fish Pie with Parsley & Plaice

​​​INGREDIENTS
​8 rashers smoked streaky bacon (optional), sliced into squares
1 brown onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
50g butter
1l fish stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 5mm cubes
100ml double cream
50g grated Gruyère cheese
Large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp cornflour
600g plaice fillet, skinned, boned and roughly chopped
350g readymade puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
​

METHOD
Put the bacon, onion and garlic in a large saucepan with a little butter (or use all of the butter if you decide not to use bacon). Fry over a gentle heat until the onion and garlic are translucent and the bacon is cooked and just starting to brown.

Add the stock and simmer until the stock has reduced by half.  Add the potatoes and simmer for five minutes, then add the cream, cheese and parsley and simmer for another five minutes. Stir and taste.

Add a pinch of salt, if needed, and the white pepper.  Mix the cornflour with a spoonful or two of the sauce, then add this back to the sauce and stir through to thicken it.
 Allow to cool completely, then add the plaice and chill.  

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.  Roll out 200g of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm and use it to cover the bottom and sides of a deep 30cm round casserole dish.

Prick the base all over with a fork. Cover the base with foil and fill with baking beans, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, remove the beans and foil, then glaze with beaten egg and bake for a second time, for two minutes, to seal the pastry.

Reduce the heat to 160C/320F/Gas 3.  Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness.

Fill the pie base with the chilled mixture, then cover with the pastry.  Using leftover pastry, make fish and seafood shapes to decorate the top.
​
Glaze with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve while hot with salad or new potatoes, if desired.

Recipe from 'Fish' by Mat Follas (RPS, £19.99)