How to make Marco's Classic Fish Pie | Marco Pierre White Recipe
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Marco's Classic Fish Pie
The starting point for this classic fish pie is a roux sauce, made from butter, flour and
a Knorr Fish Stock Pot; whisked together until smooth and thick, and enriched with cream.
You then gently poach the fish and prawns in this sauce, adding to its flavour. Transfer
to a pie dish, top with leeks, hard-boiled eggs and cheddar cheese. Then layer egg yolk-enriched
potato puree on top. Bake in a hot oven until golden.
1. First make your fish stock by dissolving the Knorr Fish Stock Pot in 400ml of boiling
water stirring until thoroughly dissolved.
2. Set the stock aside to cool for around 20 minutes while you prepare the fish and
leeks.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/ Gas Mark 7.
4. Heat a heavy-based saucepan. Add in the butter, allow to melt, then add in the flour
and whisk to mix thoroughly. Using a whisk, rather than a wooden spoon, to make the sauce
means you won’t have any lumps.
5. Gradually add in the cooled stock, whisking between each addition. You want to be sure
to cook out any floury taste.
6. Whisking constantly, bring to the boil and simmer until thickened. Whisk in the double
cream to enrich the sauce.
7. Add in the white fish, salmon and smoked haddock chunks. Gently shake the pan to work
the fish into the sauce. Cook very gently over a low heat to poach the fish in the sauce.
8. Two minutes later add in the prawns, again shaking the pan to work them into the sauce, and cook gently
for 1–2 minutes until just cooked.
9. Turn the fish mixture into an ovenproof pie dish. Sprinkle over the blanched leeks
and then top with a layer of hard-boiled egg quarters. Sprinkle over the grated Cheddar.
This way you’re adding layers of flavour and texture to the dish.
10. Spread over the mashed potato to form a thick, even layer on top of the pie, smoothing
with a spatula or palette knife. I used a wet palette knife to indent the mashed potato
creating a fish scales pattern, but you can use a fork instead.
11. Bake for 25–30 minutes in the pre-heated oven until golden brown. The egg yolks in
the mashed potato mean that it puffs up as it bakes and gives a lovely golden colour
to the topping.
