Tana Ramsay's Pollack and Prawn Pie with Smoked Paprika Mash

Name: Tana Ramsay's Pollack and Prawn Pie with Smoked Paprika Mash
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 600g pollack fillet or other flaky white fish skin on; 500g raw tiger prawns shelled and deveined; 600ml milk; 2 bay leaves; 6 peppercorns; few parsley stalks; drizzle of olive oil; 1 large leek finely chopped; 100g pancetta cubed; 50g butter; 50g flour; 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley; 1 1 tbsp finely chopped basil; 1.5kg maris piper potatoes peeled and cut into even chunks; pinch of salt; knob of butter; splash of milk; 1½ tsp smoked paprika; pinch of cayenne pepper; 2 medium egg yolks; 160g cherry tomatoes halved; 2 tsp thyme leaves

Over a year ago 5,180 views

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 50 mins

British Main Course

Ingredients

600g pollack fillet or other flaky white fish skin on
500g raw tiger prawns shelled and deveined
600ml milk
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
few parsley stalks
drizzle of olive oil
1 large leek finely chopped
100g pancetta cubed
50g butter
50g flour
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 1 tbsp finely chopped basil
1.5kg maris piper potatoes peeled and cut into even chunks
pinch of salt
knob of butter
splash of milk
1½ tsp smoked paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 medium egg yolks
160g cherry tomatoes halved
2 tsp thyme leaves

Accompaniment

Description

This recipe isn’t a traditional fish pie, but I find the tomatoes really intensify in flavour as they bake, complementing the dish perfectly

Method

1
1. Begin with the topping. Place the potatoes in a pan of cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain very well. Add the butter and milk and mash until smooth. Stir in the paprika and cayenne pepper, then stir in the egg yolks. Set aside.

2. Put the pollack and prawns in a deep pan and add enough of the milk just to cover, then pop in the bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley stalks. Place over a medium heat and let it come to a bubble, then turn off the heat, cover with foil or a lid and leave to cook in the residual heat for 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish and prawns from the milk. Strain the milk through a sieve into a bowl and set aside. Flake the fish on to a plate, removing the skin and any bones.

3. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the leek and pancetta for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/375F/gas 5. Melt the 50g butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix to form a thick paste. Whisk in the reserved milk from poaching the fish and prawns, a little at a time to avoid lumps, until it is all incorporated. Cook for 4-5 minutes, still whisking occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the chopped parsley and basil.

5. Put the pollack and prawns in a 2.5-litre ovenproof dish along with the leeks and pancetta, evenly distributing these ingredients over the bottom of the dish so each serving will have some of everything. Pour in the white sauce and gently stir it through.

6. Spread the mash over the top and smooth with the back of a fork. Arrange the halved tomatoes on top and very gently push them slightly into the mash. Sprinkle on the thyme leaves and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden.

Chef's Tips

Go for sustainable fish.

I would like my children to enjoy fish all their lives, as I have, so I always try to buy varieties from stocks that aren’t endangered. Pollack is an excellent example of this, and is very underused, its white, meaty and flaky flesh is perfect for this recipe. If you can’t find it, you can use cod instead, but make sure you buy farmed cod so you can tuck in with a clear conscience.