Smoky Fish Pie

The new year brought with it a rainy day, so I was craving something warm and comforting.  As I was flipping through my Cookshelf Healthy Cooking book, a recipe under 'Fish & Shellfish' caught my eye.  Smoky Fish Pie?  Sounded like just the thing.  Scanning the ingredients, I saw that I could make use of the leftover smoked salmon from our traditional lox and bagels Christmas breakfast and stop at the store for the other items.  With a plan in mind, I was already feeling like I'd found the perfect remedy for a rainy afternoon!

The following recipe is from Kathryn Hawkins' Cookshelf Healthy Cooking, page 122.

Smoky Fish Pie

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: 510

Fat content per serving: 6g

Ingredients:

2 pounds smoked haddock or cod fillets

2-1/2 cups skim milk

2 bay leaves

4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

4 ounces frozen peas

4 ounces frozen corn

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, diced

5 tbsp low-fat unsweetened yogurt

4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 ounces smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 ounce smoked cheese, grated

salt and pepper

I couldn't find smoked haddock or cod at the supermarket, but picked up these beautiful haddock fillets already with the skins off.  Turns out they worked just as well.  I also substituted skim milk for light soy milk (which I usually trade off) and sliced baby bellas in place of button mushrooms (also a typical trade-off for me).  Finally, the smoked cheese of choice was an apple-smoked cheddar that gave the casserole some bite.

Preparation:

1) Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Place the fish in a pan and add the milk and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 5 minutes.

2) Add the mushrooms, peas, and corn to the pan, bring back to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes.  Let cool.

I would suggest leaving the lid open a crack so that the sauce doesn't boil over!

3) Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with water, boil, and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain and mash with a fork or a masher.  Stir in the yogurt, parsley, and seasoning.  Set aside.

The recipe didn't call for peeled potatoes, but I peeled mine before I diced and boiled them.

4) Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the pan.  Flake the cooked fish away from the skin and place in an ovenproof gratin dish.  Reserve the cooking liquid.

Since I was able to find fillets with the skins already removed, the fish had cooked through and flaked easily.

5) Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid, and gently stir into the fish, together with the salmon strips.

6) Blend a little cooking liquid into the cornstarch to make a paste.  Transfer the rest of the liquid to a saucepan and add the paste.  Heat through, stirring, until thickened.  Discard the bay leaves and season to taste.

I've always been alittle iffy about making a rue, which is what I equated this to.  I didn't know how much liquid to add to the cornstarch to get it pastey enough, so ended up having to add more cornstarch to thicken it, and later more milk to smooth it out.  Next time I would start with the liquid first and then gradually add the cornstarch.

7) Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables.  Spoon the mashed potato on top, covering the fish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve.





The final result:

I could smell the smokiness in the kitchen before the dish was done baking.  There were alot of flavors going on in the "pie," which I liked.  Overall, it took me about 2 hours to prepare from prep to baking, since I felt like it was hard to multi-task the steps (and of course, it was the first time making it).  Hopefully, next time I will find a way for it to flow better... I would make it again.  It was a healthy twist on traditional shepherd's pie, and the warm and comforting fix I was looking for.

Until the next adventure...