Wade Murphy creates a healthy fish pie on Healthy Appetite.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

  • 24 mussels
  • 24 clams
  • 130ml white wine (divided)

For the pie sauce base:

  • 15 g unsalted butter 
  • ½ tbsp rapeseed oil 
  • ½ bulb of fennel, sliced 
  • 1 onion, sliced 
  • ½ slice smoked streaky bacon, chopped 
  • 1 rooster potato, peeled and diced 
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
  • ½ leek, sliced 
  • 2 sticks celery, sliced 
  • Sprig of thyme 
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 100 ml white wine 
  • 125 ml low fat milk 
  • 125 ml fresh fish stock 
  • 130 ml reserved clam and mussel stock 
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon 
  • 2 tbsp chopped tarragon 
  • 1 tbsp chopped chervil 
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

For the pie:

  • 400 g fish fillets - including cod, pollock, hake, smoked haddock 
  • 4 scallops 
  • 100 g cooked crab meat 
  • 8 prawns, shelled 
  • ½ cooked lobster tail 
  • 1 egg 
  • 100 g fresh peas 
  • 75 g broad beans 
  • ½ leek 

For the topping:

  • 150 g Panko breadcrumbs 
  • 40 g grated parmesan
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

To serve:

  • 1 bunch purple sprouting broccoli
  • Lemon juice, olive oil & salt
  • 4 slices lemon
  • Handful microgreens

Method

  1. Cook the mussels in 65ml white wine until they have opened. Strain into a bowl and keep the stock.
  2. Place the mussels on a tray. Cook the clams in the same way as the mussels in another 65ml of white wine, strain into the same bowl as the mussel stock. Place the clams on the tray with the mussels and put in the fridge. Filter the mussel and clam stock through a fine cloth. 
  3. Next prepare the sauce. In a heavy-based saucepan heat the butter and rapeseed oil until it just begins to foam. Add the fennel, onion, smoked streaky bacon, potato, garlic, leek and celery and sweat on a low heat until tender, but not coloured. Add a sprig of thyme, 2 bay leaves and 100 ml white wine.
  4. Bring to the boil and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the milk, fish stock and the mussel and clam stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 15 mins or until the vegetables and potatoes are tender.
  5. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaves and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve – use a ladle or spoon to push it through. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chopped herbs and Dijon mustard. Stir and leave to cool until needed.  
  6. For the topping, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, chopped chives and parsley, and set aside.
  7. Hard boil the egg (12 minutes in boiling water), remove shell when cool and cut into 4 wedges.
  8. Take your desired pie dish - you can make individual pies or one big one. Preheat your oven to 180°C.  
  9. Cut the fish fillets and the lobster tail into chunks.
  10. Steam the chopped leek for 5 minutes.  Blanch the peas and broad beans in boiling water for 1 minute, then place in ice water. Shell the broad beans. 
  11. Bring the sauce to boil and add the uncooked fish, prawns and scallops. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  12. Divide the lobster, crab, peas, beans and egg wedges between the pie dishes. Shell the clams and mussels and divide the meat across the dishes.
  13. Add the fish and sauce. Generously top the pies with the breadcrumb mix. Bake in the oven for approx. 15 minutes until golden and the sauce bubbles at the side of the dish.
  14. Meanwhile, steam the purple sprouting broccoli for 3 minutes, then finish on a hot griddle or frying pan with a little oil for 2 minutes.
  15. Dress with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Serve the pie with a wedge of lemon, broccoli and some microgreens.

Fat: 24g
Fibre: 9g

Dietitian’s tip! This recipe could feed 5 or 6 people with more veggies on the side, for an even healthier portion size.