Madhouse recipe : Cod & Haddock Fish Pie

If your kids aren't keen on fish but they love shepherd's pie or cottage pie, try serving up a fish pie. It always gets a warmer reception than many of the other fsh dishes that I serve at The Madhouse. I used cod and haddock but you could add any white fish and even add in other flavours and textures, such as salmon (fresh or smoked), prawns or mussels.

Cod & Haddock Fish Pie

ingredients :

knob of butter

300g cod fillet

200g smoked haddock

2 leeks

a cupful of frozen peas

30cl crème fraîche

seasoning of choice : I used salt, pepper, garlic granules, smoked paprika

potatoes/butter/milk or leftover mashed potatoes

If you aren't using leftover mash, start off by putting the potatoes on to boil. I don't bother peeling them because it all adds extra fibre. Just give them a good wash and cut them into large pieces so that they are all the same size.

Melt the knob of butter in a large frying pan and gently fry the cod for 3 minutes. Add the sliced leeks and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Use a sharp knife to carefully peel the skin off the haddock.

Chop into cubes.

Add to the pan with the cod and leeks.

Pour in the crème fraîche and the frozen peas. Add the seasonings. (Go easy on the salt because the haddock already adds saltiness.)

After a few minutes when the peas have thawed out, transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Top with mash. You could use garlic mash, mustard mash or cheesy mash if you want to add some extra depth of flavour.

Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until the mash is golden brown and slightly crispy on top. I forgot this time but laying a line of tomato slices down the middle on top of the mash works well too.