Sweet potato winter pie
This pie makes a hearty winter family feast
Ingredients:
For the filling
2 white fish (cod, pollack, basa) 1-2 portions of salmon 1 white onion 2-3 leaks 1-2 diced courgettes 1 white potato 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp black peppercorns a squeeze of lemon 200ml milk 100ml vegetable stock knob of butter
For the sauce
30g butter 2 tbs of flour 100ml of milk salt and pepper
For the topping
2 sweet potatoes
Method
Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at
200 C
TOP TIP ! I sometimes bake a sweet potato for lunch, if I do I bung a couple more into the oven and then leave to cool, and store in the fridge, ready to use and mash.
Whilst that's cooking get all your other ingredients ready to cook, chop the onion, courgettes and the leak, then chop the potatoes and the fish and into medium chunks.
Get your peppercorns, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and grind up till fine in a pestle and mortar (or you can you pre-ground spices) the flavours are lovely.
Take a medium-sized saucepan, and gently heat the butter. Fry the onions on a medium heat, and then add the leaks cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Next add the fish, courgette's, the milk and veg stock and simmer for 5 mins, then add the spice for a further 2 mins. Then add the parsley.
Place in an oven proof dish, and grab a small saucepan add the butter for the sauce on a low heat then add the flour and stir into a paste. slowly add the milk and gently whisk the paste and the flour will bind together and slowly thicken (you can add a little cheese at this point if you like) and the salt and pepper and pour on top of the fish.
When the sweet potato is ready and soft the skin should just easily peel off, remove all the skin and wiz up in a blender till smooth.
Spoon on top of the fish and bake at 200C for about 10 mins to make a nice topping you can sprinkle some breadcrumbs to make a crispy topping.
Serve with peas or lovely kale.
