Nigel Slater's fish pie recipe

We continue to tread carefully through the fish supplies. Nothing endangered, intensively farmed or that may damage our increasingly fragile marine environment. So what is left? Well, quite a lot, actually. The idea that all fish is out of bounds is a myth, and support for the fishing industry and its families is needed more than ever. But as shoppers we must be careful.

This is fish pie weather. For a pie filling, I like to have at least one firm white fish in the background. This was often eel in our house, but a replacement could be cod blessed with the logo of the Marine Conservation Society or maybe line-caught pollock. Coley is another eat-more-of possibility, though I am less fond of this fish than I might be. But its slightly grey flesh and mild flavour have its loyal fans. Any of these makes a rock-solid base of flavour on which we can build our filling.

Smoked fish adds depth to a winter pie. A piece of smoked haddock usually gets my vote, but there are other possibilities, too. Smoked pollock is not the easiest to track down (I resorted to the internet), but it is firmer and more wallet-friendly than haddock and you may know of a local supplier. Haddock is another possibility if you can trust your sources.

If I am going to the trouble of making a pie – and yes, it is a lot of trouble, with all the washing up it produces – then I am going for broke, which means a touch of luxury. Even a handful of prawns will turn an everyday dish into something rather special. But better somehow is a handful of mussels. They are cheap, juicy and add bags of savour, and they won't leave you sitting on the naughty step.

The bland, milky base can be livened up a little with herbs, but I don't think we should get too far removed from its ultimate soothing qualities. Dill is the perfect herb here, though its mild aniseed notes are not for everyone. Tarragon, perhaps the most perfect of marriages, is on my shopping list, and parsley too. If ever there was a place for the curly variety it is here, and I think quite finely chopped, so as not to intrude. Those who grow their own might like to use lemon thyme – but only the youngest leaves. I give them a good chopping.

When making the sauce it is worth trapping every ounce of flavour. The milk used to cook the fish should be incorporated, in all its herby, peppercorn-scented fishiness, into the filling and not tipped down the sink. This is crucial if the true flavour isn't to be squandered.

The crust can be anything we feel like, from a melting shortcrust to a sheet of billowing puff or even good old flaky pastry. But crumb crusts and thick cloud-like layers of potato are possibilities, too. I rather like the idea of a crumb crust spiked with parmesan. It can be one that uses up less-than-fresh bread or that is made with oats and butter. The cheese adds not just a deeper note but ensures a light crunch to the crust that is so important as a contrast for such a soft filling.

A top made of slices of overlapping potato, Lancashire hotpot style, is something I do from time to time and not just because it resembles fish scales. A crisp layer of potatoes is yet another possibility in the huge lexicon of fish and potato suppers – from fishcakes to fish and chips. And that marriage is one I hope will never be missing from our kitchens.

CRUMBLE-CRUST FISH PIE

Fish pie is straightforward enough if you get organised. It is not a dish for the chaotic cook or anyone short of time. Serves 4.

750g firm white fish (filleted weight)
250g smoked fish (eg haddock or pollock)
a little butter for the dish
500ml milk
a bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
a little nutmeg
75g butter
40g flour
a small bunch of dill, chopped
about 5 stalks of bushy parsley
2 medium-sized leeks

For the crumble topping:
95g butter
80g plain flour
75g rolled oats
25g finely grated parmesan

Check the fish for any stray bones, but keep the skin in place for the moment. Lightly butter a baking dish or shallow pan, place the fish in it, skin-side down, and pour over the milk, topping up with a little water to just cover the fish. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and a very fine grating of nutmeg. Place over a moderate heat, turning it down just before the milk boils. Leave to simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, until the fish is opaque and tender.

Turn off the heat, remove the fish and strain the liquor to remove the bay leaf. Remove the skin from the fish and discard. Break the fish into large pieces and roughly chop the dill.

Melt 40g of butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook till pale biscuit-coloured, stirring almost constantly. Pour in the strained cooking liquid from the fish (adding more, if necessary, to make 500ml), stirring over a moderate heat till smooth. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, then fold in the fish. Season with salt, pepper, dill and parsley.

While the sauce is cooking, slice the leeks thinly, give them a thorough rinse, then let them cook with 35g butter in a deep pan, covered with a lid, until they are soft. It is important that they don't colour, so I often put a round of greaseproof paper on top of the leeks and cover with a lid, which will encourage them to steam.

Gently fold the cooked leeks into the fish sauce, then transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. To make the crumble, put the flour and butter into a food processor and blitz to the texture of fresh breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub them gently together by hand. Fold in the oats, parmesan, a little salt and ground black pepper.

Tip the crumble over the fish sauce. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, and the filling is bubbling.

WHOLEMEAL APPLE AND ORANGE CAKE

Fortunately, there are still some very good local apples around. Serves 8.

220g butter at room temperature
210g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs
250g wholemeal flour
a lightly heaped teaspoon of baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
200g apples (peeled weight)
100g golden sultanas or raisins
125g orange marmalade
finely grated zest of an orange
Demerara sugar

You will also need a 20cm round cake tin with a removable base, lined with paper.

Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 4. Beat the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and pale coffee-coloured. Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Core and roughly chop the apples. They should be in pieces under 1cm square.

Toss the chopped apples with the sultanas or raisins. Stir in the marmalade.

Add the beaten eggs a little at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, introducing a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Gently but firmly fold in the rest of the flour.

Fold in the fruit and marmalade mixture, along with the grated orange zest. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, scatter a fine layer of Demerara over the top and bake for an hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out moist but without any cake mixture sticking to it. Cool before serving.★

nigel.slater@observer.co.uk

• This article was amended on Monday 22 February 2010 because an editing error resulted in two of the ingredients being omitted.