This is very lazy fish pie. No sauce, just grated Emmental, a fillet of fish per person, spinach, mashed potato and more cheese. The mash is enriched with beaten egg so it holds its shape and crisps as it bakes. For more or less servings adjust the ingredients in proportion. If you want to snazz it up a bit, do as I did in the fish pie in the photo, cover the mash with boiled and peeled small potatoes then dredge the top with masses of grated cheese. Glorious.
Serves 2
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
2 thick fillets cod, haddock or salmon
25g butter
350g boiling potatoes
75g spinach
1 egg yolk
30g grated Emmental cheese
Dust the skinned, boned fish with ½ (half) tsp salt. Set aside to firm and weep. Smear a small roasting tin or shallow ovenproof dish or dishes with a little of the butter. Peel, chunk and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and pass through a mouli-legume or ricer or mash smooth. Beat in the remaining butter then the egg yolk. Meanwhile, boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a mixing bowl and cover with water from the kettle. Leave briefly to wilt. Drain, squeeze dry and slice through the ball a few times. Spoon the mash into a piping bag or stiff plastic bag with the corner cut off. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Line up in the prepared tin or dish/es and cover with a layer of spinach, most of the cheese then pipe or fork the mash in swirls, furrows or spikes over the top. Add a little more cheese. Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mash is crusty and golden.