Froize fish pie

INGREDIENTS

(serves eight)

500g rich shortcrust pastry (made with 50:50 lard and margarine, plus an egg to make it very short)
300g cod
300g plaice
300g haddock
300g halibut, turbot or brill
300g salmon
175g peeled shell-on prawns
Salt and pepper
Bouquet garni

For the velouté (for eight pies)
3 shallots
1tbs unsalted butter
½ bottle of white wine
½ bottle of Noilly Prat
500ml fish stock
500ml double cream

For the garnish
225g steamed mussel meat
8 steamed clams
Chopped chives and chervil

METHOD

Sweat the shallots in unsalted butter until soft.  Deglaze with white wine.  Boil the wine stock and Noilly Prat until reduced by two-thirds.  Add the fish stock and reduce by two-thirds.  Add the double cream and reduce to a light-coating consistency.

Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve.

Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness.  Cut out eight crescents and reserve until the pie order comes in.

Layer individual portions of fish on a plate with the salmon on top, season between layers.

Place bouquet garni on top.  Steam until cooked (for about seven or eight minutes) and drain off any moisture from the plate.

Add the sauce, place a pastry crescent on top and garnish with chopped chervil, chopped chives, chopped chives, mussels and clams.

Alistair Shaw

Photo © Sam Bailey