Smoked and white fish in a cornflour-thickened cheese sauce, topped with buttery cheddar mash and grilled until golden.
Prep
30 mins
Cook
45 mins
Servings
6
Per serving
£2.65
Difficulty
medium
A mash-topped fish pie rather than a pastry one, deliberately thickened with cornflour instead of a flour roux, which makes this one gluten-free without losing any of the comfort.
Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15-18 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash with 50g of the butter and half the cheddar. Season to taste.
Meanwhile hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes, then cool in cold water, peel and quarter.
Put the smoked haddock, cod, milk and bay leaf in a wide pan. Bring gently to a simmer and poach for 6-7 minutes until just cooked. Lift the fish out with a slotted spoon, reserving the milk, and flake it into large chunks, discarding any skin.
Melt the remaining 20g butter in a clean pan. Mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to a smooth paste and whisk into the reserved poaching milk along with the crumbled stock cube.
Pour the milk mixture into the pan with the butter and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 4-5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) or the grill to high. Gently fold the flaked fish, peas, quartered eggs and parsley into the sauce, then transfer to a baking dish.
Top with the cheddar mash, spreading right to the edges, scatter over the remaining cheddar, and bake or grill for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.