Weekend recipe: Salmon and Pea Pie

This is by Rachel Green, TV chef and Ambassador for Leicester Market.

“This is a really comforting fish pie recipe,” says Rachel. “I recommend getting the salmon and prawns from Leicester Market’s brilliant and fantastically comprehensive fish section. It has some of the best seafood stalls I’ve come across.”

As well as starring in various TV shows such as Kill It, Cook It, Eat It, Rachel has also written two cookbooks. For more information, click here.

Serves 4-6

For the fish filling
* 600g fresh salmon fillet, skinned
* 250ml full fat milk
* 1 bay leaf & 4 peppercorns
* 200g prawns, peeled & cooked
* 100g smoked salmon trimmings
* 350g frozen peas
* 2 shallots, finely chopped
* 3 tbsp chives, finely chopped
* Sea salt and black pepper

For the topping
* 1 kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
* 50g butter
* 2 tbsp crème fraiche
* 70g sliced pancetta
* Sea salt and black pepper

For the white wine sauce
* 50g butter
* 50g plain flour
* 250ml white wine
* 250ml double cream

1 Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 (200C). Place salmon fillet in a medium saucepan. Add milk, bay leaves and peppercorns. Season. Simmer on low heat for two minutes, then switch off heat and cover (fish will continue to cook).

2 Peel potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks, add enough water to just cover and boil on hob. Lower heat to simmer and cook till tender. Drain, return potatoes to the pan and mash, adding butter and crème fraiche. Season and set aside.

3 Remove salmon, strain and reserve cooking liquor. Flake fish when it’s cool enough.

4 For sauce, melt butter in a pan over a medium heat. Don’t let it go brown. When just melted, add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to a smooth paste.

5 Add cooking liquor from fish. Use a small whisk to incorporate the liquid, then add the wine a little at a time and whisk again. Turn down heat and add cream, whisk again and cook the sauce on the lowest setting for three minutes.

6 Remove from the heat and add the cooked salmon, prawns, smoked salmon, grated lemon rind, peas, shallots and chives. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.

7 Place fish mixture in a buttered, ovenproof dish. Spoon over mashed potato, making sure you cover the surface of the dish. Cook in oven for 25 minutes, then remove and lay slices of pancetta on top. Put back in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until pancetta is crispy and golden brown.

Rachel Green