Fish Pie: If you enjoy a Seven Fishes type dinner for Christmas Eve, chances are you will have some leftover fish to deal with on Santo Stefano (December 26). Here's a tasty idea. You'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces (300 g) boiled fish filets (or other fish you happen to have)
- 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) potatoes
- A leek, sliced, including some of the green part
- 4 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 4 artichokes
- A lemon
- A bay leaf
- 1/4 cup (25 g) flour
- 1 1/5 cups (300 ml) fish broth (from a can will be fine, or use vegetable bullion if need be)
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
- Salt
- A pastry bag with a broad star-shaped nozzle.
Preparation:
Begin by preparing the artichokes: Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water. Strip away the tough outer leaves, trim the top, cut it from the stem even with its base, and halve the artichokes, removing any fuzz you may find. Quarter the halves lengthwise, butting the slices in the acidulated water to keep them from darkening. While you are doing this, bring a pot of salted water to a boil; boil the artichokes for 10 minutes, drain them, and set them aside.
Melt 2/3 of the butter in a skillet, add the sliced carrots, the bay leaf, and a ladle of hot water. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then add the leek, a pinch of salt. Cook two minutes and stir in the flour, followed by 1/3 cup milk, in a thin stream; continue cooking, stirring gently, until the sauce has thickened. Turn off the burner, remove and discard the bay leaf, add the artichokes, and then crumble the fish into the pot. Mix well.
While the carrots are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes. Put them in a pot with lightly salted cold water to cover, bring the pot to a boil, and simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
When the potatoes are done, drain them, rice them, and beat them with the remaining milk, the butter, and the cheese. Arrange the fish mixture in an ovenproof dish. Fill your pastry bag with the potato mixture and dot it over the fish. Bake for a half hour and serve hot.
Melt 2/3 of the butter in a skillet, add the sliced carrots, the bay leaf, and a ladle of hot water. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then add the leek, a pinch of salt. Cook two minutes and stir in the flour, followed by 1/3 cup milk, in a thin stream; continue cooking, stirring gently, until the sauce has thickened. Turn off the burner, remove and discard the bay leaf, add the artichokes, and then crumble the fish into the pot. Mix well.
While the carrots are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes. Put them in a pot with lightly salted cold water to cover, bring the pot to a boil, and simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
When the potatoes are done, drain them, rice them, and beat them with the remaining milk, the butter, and the cheese. Arrange the fish mixture in an ovenproof dish. Fill your pastry bag with the potato mixture and dot it over the fish. Bake for a half hour and serve hot.
