Fish Pie & Shepherd's Pie

Fish Pie

The ingredients (Serves 4)

900g floury potatoes, such as Desiree, peeled and cut into chunks; 110g unsalted butter; 600ml whole milk, plus a little extra for the mash; 200g undyed smoked haddock; 2 bay leaves; 100g salmon fillet, skinned and diced; 100g fine green beans, cut in half; 50g plain flour; 5 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley; 200g cooked Atlantic prawns; 40g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated; salt & fresh ground black pepper.

The Recipe

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain well and mash over a low heat. Beat in 50g of the butter and season well, adding a drop of milk if the mash is too stiff.

Poach the smoked haddock by putting it in a pan with the milk and bay leaves and bringing it to a gentle simmer. Remove from the pan and flake the flesh into chunks. Discard bones and save the milk for later.

Steam the diced salmon and cod for 4-5 minutes, until just cooked through. Cook the green beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes, then drain and refresh in cold water to preserve the beans' colour.

Melt the remaining 60g of butter in a pan and stir in the flour to form a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a gentle heat.

Strain the warm milk into a jug and gradually add it to the roux, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce. Then simmer for a few minutes, season to taste, and stir in the chopped parsley.

Pour a little of the sauce into 4 individual pie dishes (or one large dish). Divide the fish, beans and prawns equally, and cover with the sauce and allow to cool until it sets.

Finally, top with the mashed potato, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in an oven heated to 180C (Gas Mark 4) for roughly 20 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the pie is heated through.

Shepherd's Pie

The ingredients (Serves 8)

1 shoulder of lamb on the bone; 2 carrots, cut into 1cm dice; 1 celery stalk, cut into 1cm dice; 1 large onion, cut into 1cm dice; 8 garlic cloves, finely-choppped; a sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped; leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme; 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup; 500ml chicken stock; a handful of frozen peas; salt and freshly-ground pepper; 6 large baking potatoes; 200ml double cream; 120g unsalted butter; 6 egg yolks.

The Recipe

Season the lamb shoulder well and place on a wire rack in a roasting tray. Cover the tray loosely with foil and place in the oven at 120C (Gas Mark 0.5) and slow roast for 8 hours. At Fortnum's, we tend to leave it overnight, for the following morning's shift to take out.

Once cooked, pick the meat out while it is still warm, removing all the fat and skin. Shred the meat into decent-sized pieces.

Heat a spoonful of lamb fat from the roasting tray in a large pan, add the carrots, celery and onion and cook gently until soft. Stir in the garlic and herbs and cook for a few minutes longer.

Next, add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and the lamb and mix well. Pour in the stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it has reduced but the mixture is still moist. Check the seasoning.

To make the topping, wrap the potatoes in foil and bake at 200C (Gas Mark 6) for about an hour, until tender.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, scoop out the flesh and push it through a potato ricer or a sieve into a bowl. Bring the double cream and butter to the boil in a pan and beat them into the potato. Season well, then mix in the egg yolks. Once mixed, put the potato into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

Now put the lamb into a large pie dish, pressing it right down. Scatter the frozen peas over, then pipe the duchesse potato mix on top, ensuring the filling is completely covered.

Finally, place in an oven heated to 180C (Gas Mark 4) for about 20 minutes, until piping hot and golden brown. Serve, and enjoy.