By embracing the freezer, I’ve found a way to make this comforting family classic at a fraction of the cost. Frozen fish fillets are much cheaper than fresh, and you can’t tell the difference here. I’m serving this with good old baked beans (my favourite with a fish pie), but feel free to swap in frozen peas, if you prefer.
Ingredients
2 medium free-range eggs
480g frozen leaf spinach
1.5kg potatoes
olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
30g plain flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
2 teaspoons English mustard
80g mature Cheddar cheese
520g frozen white fish fillets
2 x 400g tins of baked beans
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Cook the eggs in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes, until hard boiled. While they’re cooking, put the frozen spinach inside a metal colander and rest it on top of the pan to defrost. Once the time’s up on the eggs, transfer them to cold water to cool slightly, then peel, slice into rounds and set aside.
- Meanwhile, scrub and prick the potatoes, then cook them in the microwave on high (800W) for 25 minutes, or until soft. Once cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and leave them to steam dry.
- Place a casserole pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Peel, finely slice and add the onion, then finely slice and add the carrot (there’s no need to peel it). Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
- Stir the flour into the carrots and onions, then gradually add the milk, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth sauce.
- Off the heat, add the mustard and grate in most of the cheese, stirring gently to combine. Arrange the frozen fish fillets in a single layer on top, breaking them up to fill in any gaps.
- Pile the defrosted spinach onto a clean tea towel, then wrap it up and wring out really well to remove the excess liquid. Tip the spinach onto a board, add a pinch of salt and pepper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, then finely chop and arrange it on top of the fish, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge – this will allow the sauce to bubble up over the edges. Finish with a layer of the sliced egg.
- Scoop the insides of the potatoes into a bowl, leaving the skins on your board. Season the skins, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil and pat them down slightly, before using them to line the edge of the pan, a bit like a pastry lining, tearing them as you go, if needed.
- Season the potato insides with salt and 1 teaspoon of oil and mash, then pick up the potato using the masher and shake it on top of the pie in a rustic fashion. Fold in the potato skin edges, so they don’t burn, and grate over the remaining Cheddar.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and blipping. When there’s 5 minutes to go, heat the baked beans in the microwave or on the hob, then serve.
