Fabulous Fish Pie

I was debating whether to name this post "There's Always Room For Improvement", because this week I was pleasantly surprised to further perfect my fish pie recipe.  Those of you who have tried it will decry this assertion, but let me just say two words to you: Rosti Top.

Yes, friends.  How do you make a fish pie better?  You add a crispy potato topping.  Obviously.

My original recipe came with a nice, creamy mashed potato topping.  So, if you fancy something a little plainer, go with mash.  But if you're up for a gloriously rich fish pie, read on!

Ingredients
4 x Salmon Fillets
2 x 250g Prawns (raw)
2 x Leeks, roughly chopped
10 x Whole Peppercorns
2 x Bay Leaves
600ml White Wine
75g Butter
25g Flour
100ml Milk
75g Cheddar (relatively strong)
700g Potatoes, grated (e.g. Maris Piper)
2tsp salt
Ground Pepper

(Serves 4-6)

Method

1. Place leeks and salmon in an ovenproof dish with the white wine, peppercorns and bay leafs.  Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes.
2. While the salmon is cooking, put the potatoes in a sieve with 1tsp salt and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.  Leave to drain for 10 minutes, then repeat the process with the another teaspoon of salt.  Give it a final squeeze.
3. When the fish is ready, remove the salmon from the dish and, when cool enough to handle, break into large flakes, discarding the skin.
4. Remove the leeks from the dish with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.  Then discard the bay leaves and peppercorns, leaving you with the cooking liquid.  Keep hold of this for later also.
5. Melt 25g of butter in a saucepan on a medium to low heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Gradually add the milk, stirring vigorously.  Then, gradually stir in the reserved cooking liquid.  You might not need all the liquid, or if the sauce is too thick, add more milk.  When you are happy with the sauce, add half of the cheddar.
6. Return the leeks and the salmon to the now empty ovenproof dish.  Add the prawns and the sauce and make sure it is all distributed evenly.
7. Melt the remaining 50g of butter in a frying pan, then fry the drained grated potatoes for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.  Take off the heat, mix in the remaining cheddar and ground pepper to taste, then spread it evenly over the fish mixture.
8. Return the pie to the oven, having turned it up to 200ºC.  Cook for 20 minutes or until the top is nice and brown and crispy.