Prawns

Matt Preston shares his mother's secret fish pie recipe

Name: Matt Preston shares his mother's secret fish pie recipe
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 160g unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra 1 tbs to grease; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour; 2 cups (500ml) hot fish stock; 1 large (about 1.5kg) celeriac, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces; 1 cup (250ml) pure (thin) cream; 2 bunches dill, roughly chopped; 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil; 2 leeks, trimmed, cut into rounds; 1 fennel, thinly sliced; 300g firm skinless white fish (we used blue-eye trevalla), cut into 4cm pieces; 300g peeled green prawns, halved; 600g hot smoked trout, skin removed, flaked; 6 hard-boiled eggs, halved; Lemon wedges, to serve

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Matt Preston shares his mother's fish pie

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by Matt Preston

delicious. senior editor

Apr 25, 2019

It's an edible version of the pie he grew up with.

160g unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra 1 tbs to grease
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
2 cups (500ml) hot fish stock
1 large (about 1.5kg) celeriac, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 cup (250ml) pure (thin) cream
2 bunches dill, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed, cut into rounds
1 fennel, thinly sliced
300g firm skinless white fish (we used blue-eye trevalla), cut into 4cm pieces
300g peeled green prawns, halved
600g hot smoked trout, skin removed, flaked
6 hard-boiled eggs, halved
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1.

Melt 75g butter cubes and garlic together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and increase heat to mediumhigh. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until light brown and well combined. Add fish stock, whisking constantly, until smooth, then simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
2.

Place celeriac in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to pan over mediumlow heat. Coarsely mash, then add 1/2 cup (125ml) cream and 50g butter cubes, and mash to a coarse puree. Season to taste.
3.

Grease a 2.5L baking dish with extra butter. Place half the dill in a blender and whiz to finely chop. Add remaining 1/2 cup (125ml) cream and pulse until smooth and combined (do not overmix). Stir into fish stock mixture, season and set aside.
4.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a frypan over medium heat and add leek and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Return pan to medium heat and heat remaining 2 tbs oil. Add fish and prawns, and cook, turning, for 2-3 minutes or until seared all over.
5.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Add leek mixture to a clean bowl with fish mixture, dill cream, smoked trout and eggs. Stir to combine, then spread into prepared dish. Spoon celeriac mash over top and dot with remaining 35g butter cubes. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden (cover the top with foil if browning too quickly). Scatter with salt flakes and remaining dill, and serve with lemon wedges.