Fish pie with deliciously crispy lemon mash

Tucking into a classic fish pie is a surefire way to bring back memories of cosy home cooked meals and mouthwateringly delicious flavours and this recipe does just that. The creamy sauce is infused with plenty of tasty flavours thanks to the addition of garlic and a handful of herby dill, while the fish is cooked to perfection so that every bite practically melts in your mouth. 

This pie is paired with a scrumptious and uniquely flavoured lemon mash and topped with parmesan and breadcrumbs for a perfect golden and crunchy top. You can serve it up with a side of buttered peas or some crusty bread to soak up all the left over juice on your plate. Nothing goes to waste in this tasty dish full of leftovers!

Ingredients

• 900g potatoes
• Zest of 1 small lemon
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup hot milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided in three plus a little extra for greasing the tray
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 cup cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill
• Salt & Pepper to season
• 1kg raw fish fillets (such as basa) or seafood
• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Method

1. Make the lemon mashed potatoes. Steam or boil the potatoes until tender. Press the potatoes through a potato ricer or use a masher while hot. Add the lemon zest and juice and stir. Heat the milk and 1 tablespoon of the butter and pour over the potatoes. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat a saucepan on medium high and add another tablespoon of butter. Fry the onion and garlic until fragrant and translucent. Then add the cream and dill and season with salt and pepper and reduce until the cream is thick and can coat the back of a spoon.
3. Preheat oven to 220C. Grease a 28 x 21cm tray with a little butter and place the raw seafood in the tray. I used mixed seafood but if you have fish fillets, cut them into bite sized chunks. Pour the hot cream sauce over the fish.
4. You can then spread or pipe the mashed potato topping on top. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and parmesan and cut up the remaining tablespoon or so of butter and dot with small cubes of butter. Bake for 25 minutes until the potato is golden.