Gourmet Seafood Pie

Gourmet Seafood Pie

serves 6-8

This really is the ultimate seafood pie. We had rain last night in Dubai, which is a novelty for us, as it rains maybe twice a year, and it inspired me to cook something that was warm and comforting. This pie is a bit of a treat as it has scallops and prawns, but you can substitute the prawns and scallops for extra fish.

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes
30g butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to season

250g salmon fillet
1 kg green prawns peeled and deviened
10 scallops
300g white fish
80g butter
1/3 cup plain flour
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 stalks celery finely chopped
200g baby spinach blanched
1 1/2 cups milk warmed
1/2 cup white wine
1 teas Dijon mustard
2 tb lemon juice
2 tb chopped parsley
2 tbs chopped chives
1 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Method

Boil the potatoes in salted water, when cooked drain and mash with the butter and milk, set aside.
Cut the fish into large chunks and cut the prawns in half.
Preheat oven to 200c.
Melt the butter in a large pan add the onion, garlic and celery and saute until just soft.
Add the flour and stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine, then gradually add the milk stir so you have no lumps.
Add the lemon juice, mustard salt and pepper.
Stir in the herbs and gently fold in the fish, prawns and scallops.
Taste for seasoning.
Lightly butter a pie or large gratin dish.
Place the spinach on the bottom and pour the filling on top, make sure the fish, prawns and scallops are evenly distributed.
Place the mash potato on top, use a fork to spread it.
Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

Serve with a simple green salad and lemon wedges.


 

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie

This is good old comfort food, its a real family dinner.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 large leeks washed and thinly sliced
4 cloves crushed garlic
600 gms boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
300 gms mixed mushrooms
2/3 cup plain flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 white wine
2 tbs fresh thyme
4 tbls finely chopped parsley
30 gms butter
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
400 gm puff pastry

Directions

Pre heat oven to 180c, heat a large pan add butter and oil and saute the chicken in batches until just brown, transfer to a plate. In the same pan add the leeks and garlic and saute for 7-10 minutes add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes or until just soft. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, add the wine and stock to create a thick sauce, add  the chicken back to the pan along with the thyme and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the filling to cool before putting into a pie dish. Roll out the pastry to fit the top of your pie dish, place the pastry on top of the cooled filling, tucking in the edges, brush with beaten egg. Make three cuts in the pastry to allow the steam to escape bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

I serve this with a simple green salad