Fish pie with potato crust

• Maris Piper potato↗1kg kg

  cut into chunks

• good grind of nutmeg↗
• double cream↗175ml ml
• butter↗75g g

  plus a little extra for the top

• egg yolks↗2
• knob of butter
• shallots↗2

  finely chopped

• fennel seeds½ tsp tsp

  lightly crushed

• star anise1
• vermouth↗300ml ml
• fish stock↗300ml ml

  fresh if possible

• double cream↗300ml ml
• skinless smoked haddock200g g

  fillet, pin-boned and cut into 3cm pieces

• skinless cod↗200g g

  fillet, pin-boned and cut into 3cm pieces

• skinless salmon fillet↗200g g

  pin-boned and cut into 3cm pieces

• frozen pea↗140g
• eggs↗4

  hard-boiled and chopped

• small bunch parsley↗

  chopped

• small bunch dill↗

  chopped

• juice ½ lemon

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain and mash with the nutmeg, cream, butter and some seasoning. Leave to cool slightly, then stir in the egg yolks and chill until ready to use.

2. 2

   While the potatoes cook, make the sauce. Heat the butter in a large pan. Add the shallots, fennel seeds and star anise, and cook until the shallots are soft, about 5 mins. Add the vermouth, bubble and reduce until there is a syrupy glaze left – this will take 10-15 mins. Add the stock and continue bubbling until the liquid has reduced by half. Add cream and return to the boil for 2 mins, then strain and return to the pan.

3. 3

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the fish pieces to the cream sauce and poach for 2 mins until just cooked. Fold through the peas, hard-boiled egg and herbs, season and add a little lemon juice. Portion the fish sauce into individual dishes or 1 large dish. Top with the mashed potato: either pipe on with a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle or simply spoon on top and rough up with a fork. Dot the top with a little extra butter, then bake for 15 mins for small dishes or 30 mins for a large one, until golden and bubbling.