All winter long we get to try new recipes and ideas out on our Manger! Boire! Eat! Drink! customers every Thursday night. It’s fun for them: food, wine, recipes, and a cooking demonstration for $35. and it’s usually pretty delicious. But it’s really fun for us, too. We have done so many themes over the years, tried Indian, Korean, Moroccan recipes…classic dishes, retro dishes, techniques — how to make gnocchi, for example, or risotto, or puff pastry. The sky’s the limit and it gives us a chance to experiment and revel in what is so beautiful about our profession: you never stop learning. This past week’s theme was British comfort food, and the guests were able to dig into a menu which included a Scotch egg, a Creamy Fish Pie, and a Lemon Posset for dessert. We were so happy with the way everything turned out: it was a really fun menu to execute (and eat!). We often wish that we could share these dishes more widely; everyone who comes to Manger! Boire! leaves with a sheet of paper with the recipes on it. Here is the recipe, for those that couldn’t join us last night, for a great winter dish, a classic English Fish Pie, topped with Creamy Mashed Potatoes.
Fish Pie
Serves 4-6
2 lbs fish of choice: cod, hake, salmon
For the sauce:
3 T butter
3 T flour
3 c milk
Salt, pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ c white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c peas
1/2 c chopped carrot, blanched
1/2 c chopped leek, blanched
Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour and cook on low heat 5 mins. Pour in the milk little by little, stirring, add seasoning and simmer 10 mins. To finish the sauce, melt another 2 T butter and add onions. Cook 5 mins over medium heat, then add the wine & lemon juice and reduce by 2/3. Add the creamy sauce. Add fish to the hot sauce. Finish with the prepared vegetables and chopped scallions, if desired. Pour into baking dish, topped with mashed potato and back for 15 mins at 375F until golden.
For the mashed potato:
1 ½ lb potato, peeled and diced
2 T salt
5 T butter
½ c warm milk
Nutmeg, salt, pepper
2 egg yolks
