Salmon and Sweet Potatoe Pies…..
Admin on Sep 04 2009 at 9:48 am | Filed under: Food, Photographs, Savoury, Travel
Hi there everyone!
The kids are loving school and other than the humidity and the crazy traffic at the moment (a story for another day) things are going well. It is quite a thing getting used to the sights and sounds of city life when you are not used to it! We have a nice apartment which has a small outside terrace, quite a feat in Rabat (or at least that’s the sales pitch the agent gave us!). In the far distance we can see the Atlantic Ocean…..
and of course the array of mosques towering above the skyline of the houses in the area.
That all aside, time to feed the family!!
I find putting food into individual ramekins makes it really appealing for the kids! In this simple fish pie, you can also hide lots of vegetables loaded with nutrients! The recipe looks long winded, but it is really simple to make. The poaching of the fish beforehand really adds extra flavour and is well worth doing.
Individual Fish Pies
To prepare the fish:
300g Salmon Fillets
300g Hake or other white fish fillets
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot, left whole
½ carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stem including leaves (we get a really thin, young type, here in which case, you can use a few stems)
1 bayleaf
1 pinch saffron
3 peppercorns
500ml low-fat milk
Mix all the above ingredients except the fish and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the fish and poach, covered for another 10 minutes. Remove the fish, set aside to cool before flaking. Strain the liquid and set aside.
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
3 white mushrooms, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 heaped Tbs flour
100ml milk
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion, carrot and celery, fry for a few seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry over a gently heat for about 10 minutes. Add the flaked fish and mix thoroughly.
Mix the flour and milk into a paste and add into the remaining liquid from the fish, whisk over a gentle heat to make a thick sauce.
Add this to the fish and vegetables, season to taste and set aside.
For the topping:
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
50 ml milk
1 tsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs bread crumbs
2 Tbs finely grated parmesan cheese
Boil the potato and sweet potato until soft. Mash together with the butter and milk and season to taste.
Lightly grease 5 individual 250ml ramekins and fill ¾ with the fish mixture. Spoon the mash over the top, smooth out with a fork and sprinkle some parmesan and breadcrumb mixture over the top.
Bake in a 180°C oven for about 20 minutes and grill for a further 5 minutes.
Serve with a green salad.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
xxxxx
