Traditional British Fish Pie or "Cobbled Cod Pie!"

by Kimberley Thompson, Tastemaker in Residence

photo from the spruce eats

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 LB cod filet, cut into 2-inch sections, use fresh cod as frozen gets watery after cooking

1 small regular onion, (left whole but papery skin peeled off), cut in half

4 dried clove buds

2 bay leaves

4 Tbsp butter

1 medium leek, thoroughly washed, and thinly sliced

1/2 cup white flour

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

5 cups of warm and buttery mashed potatoes (if yours are cold, they will not fluff up with a fork, but stay lumpy)(And yes, I have been known to use the premade variety!)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an ovenproof casserole and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk slowly. When warm add: the cut-up cod, the onion with all 4 cloves pushed into the 2 pieces, and the bay leaves to the hot liquid. Turn heat down to medium-low (gentle bubbles should be rising) and poach fish for about 6 to 8 minutes. After time is up, gently remove fish from liquid with a slotted spoon and set to rest on a dish. Pick out onions with cloves and the bay leaves. Discard. Allow milk liquid to cool as you prepare the rest of the pie.

3. In a large sauté pan, melt the 4 TBSP butter; add the thinly sliced leek and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Sprinkle flour over the buttered leeks and cook for 3 more minutes until flour well incorporated. 

4. Add the cooled milk liquid and place over medium heat to come up to a gentle roil and let it thicken. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Turn heat off and gently add the poached cod, nutmeg, and parsley. Spoon into prepared casserole. Cover entire top with the warm and buttery mashed potatoes. Fluff the top with a fork.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and cooked green veg. (Make it truly British and serve with mushy peas!)

6. Once you have the basic recipe down; you can shake it up with cheese on the top! Or sliced tomatoes cooked in the casserole! Or use half smoked whitefish and half cod. Or shrimp and cod. Yummers!

7. My only rule: Do. Not. Use. Oily. Fish. Like salmon or mackerel...the description of unpleasant will take on a new meaning.