Fish pie topped with creamy mashed potato

There’s nothing more comforting on a chilly winter evening than a hearty dinner that’s quick, easy and enjoyable for the whole family. And this delicious fish pie with a crispy mashed potato topping is all of these things!

This dish is not only easy to prepare but it also tastes so mouthwateringly good you’ll want to whip it up every single night. Serve it up on its own or with a garden salad and you’re good to go.

Ingredients

• 20g butter
• 3/4 cup (185ml) olive oil
• 1 leek, pale section only, washed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 200g button mushrooms, halved
• 1kg black mussels, debeared
• 25ml white wine
• 4-5 desiree potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 250g scallops
• 250g green prawns, peeled, deveined
• 300g white fish fillets (such as snapper or blue-eye), cut into 3cm cubes
• 300g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 3cm cubes
• 1 cup (80g) coarsely grated cheddar
• 3/4 cup (75g) fresh (made from day-old bread) breadcrumbs
• Salad leaves, to serve
  White sauce
• 30g butter
• 1/4 cup (40g) plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) chicken stock
• 1/3 cup (80ml) thin cream
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat butter and 1/4 cup (60ml) oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, onion and mushroom and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Heat half the remaining oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the mussels and wine and cook, covered, for 1 minute. Shake the pan. Cook for a further 1-3 minutes or until mussels open. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool slightly. Remove the mussels from the shells and set aside.
3. Place potato in a large saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the remaining oil and use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. To make the white sauce, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbling. Gradually add stock, stirring, until thickened. Add cream, ginger, mustard and juice. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until sauce boils and thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the leek mixture, mussels, scallops, prawns, white fish and salmon evenly among four 2-cup (500ml) capacity ovenproof dishes. Pour the white sauce evenly over each dish. Top with mashed potato and sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place dishes on an oven tray. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden and heated through. Serve immediately with salad.