Seafood pie with kumara crisp topping

There are so many gastronomic goodies arriving in delis and supermarkets these days I found Auckland’s annual Food Show in August the ideal place to catch up. This year there was a definite focus on health, including the ever popular gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo, and, amongst many other delights, turmeric — the trendy spice and superfood that is purported to have long-term restorative benefits. An innovative approach to kumara crisps by MasterChef winner Brett McGregor includes a colourful variety of Kaipara red, gold and orange kumara. Made by Nelson’s Proper Crisps, the moreish, hand-cooked crisps are great to snack on but also make colourful crunchy toppings to seafood pies, shepherds pie and salads. Former MasterChef judge chef Simon Gault’s Home Cuisine Range continues to grow and I enjoyed for the first time his concentrated fish stock. Along with a dash of his Moroccan spice blend it gave my simple paella pure pizzazz. I used Simon Gault’s concentrated fish stock according to the instructions on the pack.

Sauce

1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 medium	Onion, diced
½ cup	Fennel bulbs, diced
½ cup	Carrots, diced
2 dashes	Moroccan seasoning
2 Tbsp	Plain flour
1 cup	Fish stock

Seafood

100 g	White fish fillets, skinned and boned (Main)
6	Squid rings (Main)
6 large	Raw prawns, shelled (Main)
50 g	Smoked salmon, sliced (Main)

Topping

50 g	Kumara crisps, I used the Proper Kumara Crisps brand (Main)

Directions

1. Heat the oil on medium and sauté the onion, until softened. Add the fennel and carrot and cook until slightly softened. Add the Moroccan seasoning and stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring, until thickened.
2. Add the seafood and heat gently, until cooked. Pour into two ramekins. Place the crisps on top standing them on their edges.

See more of Jan's recipes inspired by the 2015 Food Show

• Roasted cauliflower cheese
• Gluten-free apple cake
• Honey and macadamia nut clusters