This has got to be one of the easiest fish pie recipes I’ve found. It is of course a variation (my urge to be creative often stops me from sticking to the original recipe) but if you want the original it is from Easy British (a Marks & Spencer publication). It’s a great little book to have on hand when you’re feeling a little bit of Motherland love.

Here’s the deal

Ingredients

1 kg white fish fillets, skinned
150ml dry white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
200g button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100g butter
200g cooked & peeled prawns
40g plain flour
200ml creme freche
1 kg floury potatoes
salt & pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly grease a shallow 2l baking dish.

Cut the fish fillets into narrow strips to approximately the same size and place into the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste and gently pour the wine around them. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the fish easily flakes when you pull it apart. Strain off the liquid and reserve for the sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 220c (include the grill option where possible).

Saute the mushrooms in the frying pan over a medium heat with a spoonful of the butter. After a minute add the garlic and saute together gently. Scatter them over the fish along with the prawns.

Heat 55g of the butter in a saucepan until melted then stir in the flour. Cook for a minute without browning then remove from the heat. Add the reserved cooking liquid gradually, stirring well between each addition. It should thicken very quickly.

Return to the heat and add 150ml of the creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper to taste and gently bring to the boil, stirring well to ensure a smooth sauce. Pour over the fish and prawn mixture so it is evenly distributed.

If you prefer to multi-task this can be done while you are cooking the fish in the oven. Make the mashed potato by cooking the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for about 15-20 minutes or until soft when pierced. Drain well and mash until smooth. Add the remaining butter and creme fraiche and mix until smooth.

Spread gently over the fish mixture making sure not to ‘lose’ it in the fish mixture.

Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown. Serve immediately with steamed vegetables. Of course our children loved the golden goodness of the potato topping but they also enjoyed the oozy, sweet cream sauce with the fish. I hope your kids love it as much as ours.

This recipe is part of our “Around the world in 80 dishes” a discovery of the world through food. Here are some great links you can use to help get the discovery and conversation started with your family.

Origins of fish pie

Questions kids might ask about Britain

Bon Voyage little taste buddies!