Classic Fish Pie from Danny Minnie's Restaurant in Donegal

Use a mix of whatever fresh fish and shell fish is available. This gives a range of texture and colour which is good and a little smoked fish if you like the flavour. Make sure the bones and skin are removed and the fish is cut up into large chunks.

Filing Ingredients

  • 400g Cod or haddock
  • 400g Salmon or seatrout
  • 200g Prawns
  • 50g Mussels
  • 50g Smoked salmon
  • 100g Broccoli and 30g Leeks

The fish and vegetables are poached in the milk and wine for a few minutes until the fish is just about cooked. The fish is then spooned out into a deep pyrex dish (30cm x 18 cm x 4 cm) along with the vegetables making sure there is an even distribution throughout the pie. Make the sauce with the poaching liquid for extra flavour.

For the sauce

  • 50g plain flour
  • 50g butter
  • Milk, 600ml
  • Cream, 200ml
  • White wine/Vermouth, 200ml
  • Dried tarragon, 1 dessert sp.
  • Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and white pepper half tsp. each

Method

Put the butter into a saucepan oxer a medium heat until it melts. Add the flour and mix to combine for a minute. Slowly add the milk, cream and wine whisking all the time until it come up to the boil. Add the lemon and lime rind and juice and nutmeg and season with the salt and pepper.

Potato Topping

Peel and boil 2kg of good potatoes such as roosters or pinks in water until they are soft. Drain and dry out for a few minutes on the stovetop. Add 100g butter and 200ml of milk or cream. Season well with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Mash until smooth and quite loose. Top the pie with the potato mix and bake on the centre self of a preheated oven at 170C, gas mark 5 for 40 minutes until golden brown and hot through.

Sambuca Prawns

Ingredients

  • Prawns, 6 per person as starter or 10 per person as main course
  • 50g Butter
  • Garlic, 2 cloves finely chopped
  • Sambuca liqueur, a small dash to taste
  • Cream 100ml does 2-4 servings
  • Cherry tomatoes, 2 or 3 halved per person. (Sun blushed tomatoes are great here too!)

Method

Put the butter into a shallow pan until melted. Peel and chop the garlic and add it to the butter. When the butter is foaming add the prawns and cook on high heat. When the prawns are becoming orange in colour add the cream and a small dash of the Sambuca and also the cherry tomato halves. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the cream begins to thicken and boil up.

Serve with garlic bread and salad or on some pasta as a main course.

Note: Other liqueurs can also be substituted such as Pernod, Irish Mist, Cognac, Limoncello, Drambuie, Noilly Prat etc. If you don't wish to use alcohol, Star anise will give you the same flavour as Sambuca.