Fish Pie Filling for the Freezer

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 3leeks, sliced and washed
• 60gbutter
• 60gplain flour
• 1litre whole milk
• 2 tspEnglish mustard
• 1lemon, zest and juice
• 200gspinach
• 300gfrozen peas
• 200gfrozen sweetcorn
• 25gflat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 500gskinless smoked haddock, cut into 3cm chunks
• 500gskinless salmon fillet, cut into 3cm chunks
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 2kgfloury potatoes such as Maris Piper, for both meals
• 80gbutter, for both potato toppings
• 200mlwhole milk, for both potato toppings
• 600gfrozen peas, for both meals

Method

1. 1The ingredients cover two pies for four people each, one for tonight and one filling for the freezer. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. For tonight, peel half the potatoes (1kg), cut into even chunks and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15–18 minutes until tender, then drain and leave to steam-dry for 2 minutes.
2. 2Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in your widest pan over a medium heat and cook the leeks with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes until soft and silky with no colour.
3. 3Add the 60g of butter and, once it foams, stir in the flour for 1 minute until it smells biscuity. Add the litre of milk a splash at a time, stirring so it stays smooth, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the mustard, lemon zest and juice and plenty of black pepper. Taste before salting: the haddock brings salt of its own.
4. 4Off the heat, stir in the spinach until it wilts in the residual heat, then the 300g of peas, the sweetcorn and the parsley. Fold in the haddock and salmon gently so the pieces stay whole. The fish goes in raw and cooks in the oven, which keeps it juicy.
5. 5Divide between two ovenproof dishes of about 2 litres each. One is for tonight; the other goes to the freezer in the last step.
6. 6Mash tonight’s potatoes with half the topping butter (40g) and half the topping milk (100ml), then season. Spoon over tonight’s dish, rough up the top with a fork and bake for 30–35 minutes until golden, bubbling at the edges and the fish underneath is opaque and flakes easily.
7. 7Cook half the side peas (300g) in boiling water for 3 minutes until bright and tender. Drain and serve alongside tonight’s pie.
8. 8Cool the second dish within 2 hours, cover and freeze for up to 3 months. When needed, defrost overnight in the fridge. Make its topping fresh with the other 1kg potatoes, 40g butter and 100ml milk listed for the second meal, buying fresh topping ingredients when you plan to cook it. Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and piping hot at the centre, and serve with the remaining 300g side peas. Do not refreeze.

Per serving

kcal

787

protein

42.8g

fibre

14.4g

carbs

80.5g

fat

33g