FISH PIE- PASTEL DE PESCADO
COD, SALMON AND KING PRAWNS IN A CREAMY FISH SAUCE TOPPED WITH MASHED POTATO SERVED WITH GREEN BEANS AND FRESH, CRUSTY BREAD. LOVELY STUFF.
I used fresh fish from Mercadona supermarket in Archidona, close to where I live. You can guarantee that the fish is super-fresh.
Fish Pie – Pastel de Pescado – very easy to make.
Ingredients
Fish (use whatever you like, the firmer the fish, the better)
500ml milk
Butter
Flour
Fresh parsley
Potatoes
Method
Make mashed potatoes (if you don’t know how to do that, then there is no hope for you)
Heat 500ml of milk in a large pan. Bring the milk to a simmer.
Skin the fish and bung it into the simmering milk for about 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, remove the fish from the liquid and put it into the dish you intend to serve it from. Save the milk into a jug.
Make a Roux
How to Make a Roux
Melt 1 part butter or fat in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Then sprinkle in 1 part flour.
Stir the butter and flour constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight motion for even cooking.
In 3 to 5 minutes, you’ll have a light roux that should puff slightly.
This recipe has 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of butter. Chuck in a bit of fresh parsley.
Putting the Fish Pie Together
Once the roux is ready (it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon) add it to the fish, and make sure to cover it all but leave enough room for the potatoes.
If you are impoverished and don’t have a piping bag, add the cooled mashed potatoes to a freezer bag and cut the corner off (if you haven’t got a freezer bag…Use a big spoon) and cover the contents of the bowl with a nice, thick layer of mashed spuds.
Next make a nice pattern with a fork if you like and then place the dish into a hot oven at 180 – 200C 375 – 400F depending on your oven.
After 30 minutes take it out and serve it with whatever vegetables you like.
Job done!
Finally; Check out this Spanish version of this lovely fish dish. Ask the nice people at Nerja Beach Holidays where the best fish restaurants are, they know Nerja like the back of their hands.
