Smoked Fish, Leek, and Spinach Pie
Smoked and fresh fish is wonderful in a pie, especially with a flaky pastry crust. This filling can be made ahead of time, ready to pop in the oven.
Ingredients
150g baby spinach
50g butter
1 large leek, sliced
½ tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch of chilli flakes
2 Tbsp flour
1½ cups chicken or fish stock
200g smoked fish, broken into chunks
300g fresh fish, cubed
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
4 Tbsp creme fraiche
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 roll Paneton puff pastry (or 2 sheets)
1 egg, beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degree
Wash the spinach, add it to a frying pan, and cook until just wilted. Drain well, squeezing out any excess water once it’s cool enough to handle. Set aside.
In the same pan, add the butter, sliced leek, and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for one minute, then add the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the fish and parsley, then stir through the crème fraîche, spinach, and lemon zest. Season to taste and put into a large pie dish. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the pastry top.
Use a small round pastry cutter (approximately 3-4cm) to cut the pastry into rounds. Brush each round with egg wash and arrange on top of the chilled filing in an overlapping pattern – the idea is to create scales like a fish. Trim the edges, if necessary, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush a second time with the egg wash.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pie is golden and bubbling.