Fisherman's Pie

Last year I had a goal to try and eat more fish. I had never liked fish, but my husband loves it. It also has all of those nutritional values like Omega 3's, so I figured it was time for me to make a try. flipped through some cook books, and I found a few recipes I was willing to try. One was called Quick fish pie with peas from The Illustrated Quick Cook by DK Books. I love this book because the recipes range from classic to inventive and they are pretty quick to make!

This time Brad and I made a few substitutions to the original recipe. We chose to use red potatoes and leave the skin on them for the "crust" topping as opposed to using regular baking potatoes. I liked this better because it had a more robust flavor and was not as bland. We usually have to add a lot of salt to the potatoes, but not this time. If you would prefer russet or gold potatoes, peel and quarter the potatoes before you boil them

We can also choose the different types of fish we place in it. It calls for 11/2 pound of boneless whitefish, like haddock, cod, or pollack. This time we used half flounder and half haddock. We also added a pound of shrimp to change it up a little. It was an amazing addition! 

Ingredients
2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed with skins on
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lb skinless boneless whitefish (like haddock, flounder, hake, cod, pollack)
3/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen peas
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
salt and ground pepper to taste

For the sauce
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (or the broiler on high). Peel and quarter the potatoes, and boil or steam in a pan of salted water for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain well and mash. Add the butter, and mash again. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Put the fish in a shallow frying pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour in just enough of the milk to cover, and poach over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a baking dish.

3. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until smooth. Return the pan to the heat, and gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Keep cooking and stirring for 5-6 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add more milk if needed. Stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the peas and eggs. 

4. Spoon the sauce over the fish and stir gently.Top with the mashed potatoes, swirling them so that they are not flat, but have dips and peaks. Bake or cook the pie under the broiler for about 10 minutes, or until the top is crisp and the mixture is heated through.