FISH PIE A LA JAMIE OLIVER

Last week for the first time ever I cooked a fish pie.  It was the usual family Friday gathering and I had no idea of what I was going to cook.  Then one day I was watching one of the cooking episodes with Jamie Oliver  and he was cooking a fish pie for his pals coming over to dinner.  The simplicity of the recipe and the limited number of ingredients and the cooking time made this dish sound very appealing so I decided to give it a try.

For 8 people you need:

10 middle sized Desiree potatoes

300 grams of strong cheddar cheese

500 of fish fillets (I like to use salmon)

200 grams of raw prawns, peeled and deveined

200 grams of hot smoked mackerel

Chili flakes (optional)

Olive oil

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

4 ripe tomatoes, cubed (optional)

A bunch of parsley

1 cup of finely chopped spring onions (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius.  Peel and place potatoes in salted water and cook until tender and drain.  Add the olive oil and mash them into a smooth puree.

Slice the salmon into bite size pieces, place them into a baking dish, crumble the mackerel and add to the salmon together with chopped tomatoes, finely sliced green onions, chopped parsley and grated cheese.  

Season with salt and pepper, pour over lemon juice, sprinkle with chili flakes and grated lemon zest and give it a good mix.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking, spread the mixture evenly on the dish and then cover with the potato mash using a spatula to ensure the layer is even throughout.  

Take a fork and holding it lightly and using it like an imaginary pencil, draw a wavy pattern over the surface of the mash as you go.  This will not only make the dish look pretty but adds extra layers of texture to the crunch.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy. 

I like to accompany it with the orange, fennel  and rocket leave leaves salad, the flavours and textures of both dishes seems to match each other very well.

Enjoy!