By Liane Arno
WHEN we were in the Archies Creek pub our first chef was a master of fish pies. He used to tell us that his success was due to the fact that he didn’t skimp on ingredients. They were packed full of lots of goodies like scallops and all sorts. I don’t know if you have seen the price of scallops lately but they are well out of my budget. The pies were priced accordingly, of course, and he used to do a roaring trade over Easter.
While this chef cooked for our patrons he was also the cook for anyone who was unlucky enough to end up in the lockup in the Wonthaggi Police Station. So while they were banged up they would at least have some good food to enjoy. On one occasion the police were unsuccessful in contacting the chef and so came to the pub to pick up a meal. Matt didn’t know what to do – but gave the police a couple of these pies. The inmate would have been in heaven and would have questioned whether a life of crime wasn’t too bad after all!
WHEN we were in the Archies Creek pub our first chef was a master of fish pies. He used to tell us that his success was due to the fact that he didn’t skimp on ingredients. They were packed full of lots of goodies like scallops and all sorts. I don’t know if you have seen the price of scallops lately but they are well out of my budget. The pies were priced accordingly, of course, and he used to do a roaring trade over Easter.
While this chef cooked for our patrons he was also the cook for anyone who was unlucky enough to end up in the lockup in the Wonthaggi Police Station. So while they were banged up they would at least have some good food to enjoy. On one occasion the police were unsuccessful in contacting the chef and so came to the pub to pick up a meal. Matt didn’t know what to do – but gave the police a couple of these pies. The inmate would have been in heaven and would have questioned whether a life of crime wasn’t too bad after all!
Anway it is from the Scottish that we get fish pies – and having a reputation for thriftiness (did I say stinginess?) – they wouldn’t be having scallops in their pies. Nor will they have a top of pastry like a four and twenty – but a pie like a shepherd’s pie with a potato mash top.
On my mother’s side I have Scottish ancestry with a Gunn clan kilt to boot. According to my cousin’s (and therefore my) DNA good old Robert the Bruce is an ancestor. He is considered to be a hero of Scotland as he restored Scotland as its own Kingdom. He was also the fellow who, almost defeated by the English, holed up in a cave and watched a spider try and build its web. Every time the spider tried to jump, silken thread at the ready between the caves walls, it fell to the ground. Then it picked itself up and started the process again until finally it managed. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”
So too in cooking! After a few trials and errors I have come up with my favourite way of cooking a fish pie.
In a saucepan toss in:
Drain off the milk but make sure you keep it – we are going to use it shortly.
Pick the cloves out of the onion and throw away. Dice the onion and put the diced pieces along with the fish in a mixing bowl.
Add to the bowl:
Scoop into either a large pie dish or four ramekins. Pop potato mash on the top (I find three medium sized potatoes is enough to cover all the pie/s) and then pop in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for about half an hour until the top is nicely browned.
By the way the Scots originally had boiled eggs in the mix as well – but I figure a fish pie is a fish pie. My stingy ancestors probably did it because eggs were cheaper than fish!
On my mother’s side I have Scottish ancestry with a Gunn clan kilt to boot. According to my cousin’s (and therefore my) DNA good old Robert the Bruce is an ancestor. He is considered to be a hero of Scotland as he restored Scotland as its own Kingdom. He was also the fellow who, almost defeated by the English, holed up in a cave and watched a spider try and build its web. Every time the spider tried to jump, silken thread at the ready between the caves walls, it fell to the ground. Then it picked itself up and started the process again until finally it managed. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”
So too in cooking! After a few trials and errors I have come up with my favourite way of cooking a fish pie.
In a saucepan toss in:
- 500g of flake cut into bite size cubes
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 onion that has been peeled and quartered with a clove stuck in each quarter
Drain off the milk but make sure you keep it – we are going to use it shortly.
Pick the cloves out of the onion and throw away. Dice the onion and put the diced pieces along with the fish in a mixing bowl.
Add to the bowl:
- 150g smoked salmon which you have torn into small pieces
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix (cornflour if you want it gluten free)
- Slowly add the reserved milk
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup of mature cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon
Scoop into either a large pie dish or four ramekins. Pop potato mash on the top (I find three medium sized potatoes is enough to cover all the pie/s) and then pop in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for about half an hour until the top is nicely browned.
By the way the Scots originally had boiled eggs in the mix as well – but I figure a fish pie is a fish pie. My stingy ancestors probably did it because eggs were cheaper than fish!