Rösti-Topped Fish Pie from The Slimming Foodie in One
“A rösti topping is a great way to make a fish pie without having to boil and mash potatoes and it adds a lovely crispness to the topping. If you can get hold of samphire (you can find it in larger supermarkets and at fishmongers), it makes a great side dish.” Pip Payne, author of The Slimming Foodie in One
Serves 4
250–300g (9–10½oz) skinless firm white fish fillets, such as basa, cod or haddock, chopped into chunks
1 smoked mackerel fillet (about 80g/2¾oz), skinned and chopped
80g (2¾oz) small cooked and peeled cold-water prawns
1 leek, trimmed and finely sliced
3 tablespoons cornflour
300ml (½ pint) semi-skimmed milk
80g (2¾oz) garlic and herb roulé soft cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
100g (3½oz) baby spinach, roughly chopped
Large handful of parsley leaves, chopped
100g (3½oz) frozen peas, defrosted
60g (2½oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated
700g (1lb 9oz) potatoes, peeled
Spray oil, or low-calorie cooking spray
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
Put the white fish in a large bowl with the mackerel, prawns and leek and stir in 2 tablespoons of the cornflour to coat.
In a small jug, measure out the milk and mix in the garlic and herb cheese with a fork: it should melt into the milk and thicken it up, but it doesn’t matter if there are a few lumps. Pour this mixture in with the fish. Add the lemon zest, baby spinach, parsley, peas and half the Cheddar, season with salt and pepper, then give it all a thorough mix. In a deep baking dish (mine measured 25 × 22cm/ 10 × 8½ inches), spread the fish mixture out evenly.
Grate the potatoes into a colander, hold it over the sink and squeeze down to push out as much liquid as possible. If you prefer, you can place these in a clean muslin to squeeze out the liquid. (If you are grating the potatoes in advance, cover in cold water until ready to use, so they don’t go brown, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid when you are ready).
Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornflour into the grated potatoes, then stir in the remaining Cheddar. Spread the grated potatoes evenly over the pie, and spray with oil or low-calorie cooking spray.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes, until the top of the pie is golden brown, with crisp edges.
NOTE: You can substitute the white fish for salmon in this. If you want to avoid the smoked flavour that mackerel gives, simply replace it with extra prawns or white fish.
