Traditional fish pie with a pastry lid

Tam West

This no-fuss traditional fish pie is a weeknight staple. Using a pie bird or egg cup will prevent the pastry top sitting directly on the fish filling and becoming soggy. Infusing the milk adds flavour, but is not a necessity.

Ingredients

2 cups	Milk, full cream
3 stalks	Parsley
1	Bay leaf
10	Black peppercorns
1	Onion, sliced
50 g	Butter, plus extra for buttering dish
3 Tbsp	Flour
600 g	Fish fillets, firm white, cut in 2.5cm pieces (Main)
1	Lemon, zested
2 Tbsp	Parsley, curly, finely chopped
300 g	Puff pastry (Main)
1	Egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1	Lemon, for squeezing

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly butter a 4-cup-capacity pie dish. Place a pie bird or an upturned ovenproof egg cup in the centre of the dish.
2. Pour milk into a heavy-based saucepan and add the parsley stalks, bay leaf, peppercorns and onion. Place over a low heat and let it come slowly up to simmering point. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes, then strain into a jug and discard flavourings.
3. Wash out saucepan, add butter and melt. Add the flour, stir well to make a roux, place back over a medium heat and cook until lightly golden. Pour on infused milk and stir continuously until smooth, shiny and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Gently stir through the fish, lemon zest and parsley, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in pie dish.
4. On a lightly-floured bench top, roll out pastry until 5mm in thickness and large enough to cover the top of the pie dish with a little extra. Cut thin strips from remaining pastry and use to place around edge of pie dish. Brush with egg wash.
5. Place pastry lid on top of filled pie dish and press edges together. Using a sharp knife and horizontal cuts, "knockup" the pastry, which seals it together and helps the pastry to rise up in layers. Make 2-3 slits in the pastry top to allow steam to escape during cooking (if not using a pie bird) and brush with egg wash.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is dark brown and the filling bubbling. Serve with extra lemons for squeezing.

Make it different

• Add vegetables and herbs — celery, spinach, corn and peas.
• Add capers and/or gherkins.

See more of Kathy Paterson's fish pie recipes

• Weeknight crumbed fish pie
• Fish pie