Recipe of the day: Winter fisherman’s pie

Topped with crisp, golden puff pastry, this comforting seafood pie is packed with flavour and perfect for sharing on a chilly evening. As winter settles in many South Africans find themselves stuck in a cooking rut, repeating the same comfort meals week after week. Winter is the perfect time to embrace warming, nourishing dishes, like large pies that bring people together around the table.Chunks of white fish, smoked fish and prawns are folded into a rich, milk-based sauce with leeks, spinach, peas, dill and chives in this winter fisherman’s pie. Topped with crisp, golden puff pastry, this comforting seafood pie is packed with flavour and perfect for sharing on a chilly evening. Ingredients 300 g firm white fish – hake or monkfish filleted and cut into chunks 200 g whole prawns or shrimp deveined 300 g smoked fish – snoek, angelfish, haddock 300 ml full cream milk 1 small onion peeled and halved 2 bay leaves 3 sprigs fresh tarragon optional 5 ml whole black peppercorns butter for frying 1 large shallot peeled and finely diced 3 leeks rinsed and thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic crushed 90 g plain flour 250 ml fresh cream 200 g baby spinach cooked and drained 100 g baby peas 15 ml fresh dill finely chopped 15 ml fresh chives finely chopped Sea salt and black pepper 400 g ready-rolled puff pastry defrosted for the pie topping Plain flour for dusting 1 egg beaten Method Place the white fish, smoked fish, prawns or shrimp, halved onion, bay leaf, tarragon and peppercorns in a lidded casserole and pour over the milk. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the seafood is cooked. Remove the fish and prawns and strain the milk, reserving the liquid. Peel the prawns and flake the fish, discarding the shells and any bones. Set aside. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion and leeks until soft and translucent. Stir through the crushed garlic and plain flour to create a thickened paste. Cook for a minute then pour in the infused milk, whisking the mixture until smooth. Add the spinach and peas and cook for a minute. Slowly add in the cream, stirring to combine and reducing if necessary. The sauce needs to evenly coat the back of a spoon. When thickened to the right consistency, remove the sauce from the heat. Stir through the fish and prawn meat then add in the chopped dill and chives. Season the mixture to taste and transfer into a large ovenproof dish. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit the pie dish. Gently cover the pie mixture with the pastry, pressing the edges down to seal in the filling. If desired, decorate the top of the pie with any leftover pastry. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg and bake the pie in a preheated 220°C oven until golden and flaky. Print Recipe of the day: Winter fisherman’s pie As winter settles in many South Africans find themselves stuck in a cooking rut, repeating the same comfort meals week after week. Winter is the perfect time to embrace warming, nourishing dishes (like pies) that bring people together around the table. 300 g firm white fish – hake or monkfish filleted and cut into chunks 200 g whole prawns or shrimp deveined 300 g smoked fish snoek, angelfish, haddock 300 ml full cream milk 1 small onion peeled and halved 2 bay leaves 3 sprigs fresh tarragon optional 5 ml whole black peppercorns butter for frying 1 large shallot peeled and finely diced 3 leeks rinsed and thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic crushed 90 g plain flour 250 ml fresh cream 200 g baby spinach cooked and drained 100 g baby peas 15 ml fresh dill finely chopped 15 ml fresh chives finely chopped Sea salt and black pepper 400 g ready-rolled puff pastry defrosted for the pie crust Plain flour for dusting 1 egg beaten Place the white fish, smoked fish, prawns or shrimp, halved onion, bay leaf, tarragon and peppercorns in a lidded casserole and pour over the milk. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the seafood is cooked. Remove the fish and prawns and strain the milk, reserving the liquid. Peel the prawns and flake the fish, discarding the shells and any bones. Set aside. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion and leeks until soft and translucent. Stir through the crushed garlic and plain flour to create a thickened paste. Cook for a minute then pour in the infused milk, whisking the mixture until smooth. Add the spinach and peas and cook for a minute. Slowly add in the cream, stirring to combine and reducing if necessary. The sauce needs to evenly coat the back of a spoon. When thickened to the right consistency, remove the sauce from the heat. Stir through the fish and prawn meat then add in the chopped dill and chives. Season the mixture to taste and transfer into a large ovenproof dish. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit the pie dish. Gently cover the pie mixture with the pastry, pressing the edges down to seal in the filling. If desired, decorate the top of the pie with any leftover pastry. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg and bake the pie in a preheated 220°C oven until golden and flaky. – Recipe supplied by Rediscover Dairy