A hearty and deeply flavorful smoked fish pie using fish heads, wings, and frames for the filling. Combined with mashed potatoes, kumara, eggs, and topped with a garlicky breadcrumb crust, this dish is both nourishing and this large great for sharing (or reduce ingredients to make just one pie). I had the pleasure of learning this recipe, and photographing it with the team from The Kai Ika Project, and Legasea - here in New Zealand, we enjoyed it for an epic working lunch and the remaining was then distributed to friends and the community.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 2 kg smoked fish meat (from heads, wings, and frames)
- 2 kg potatoes (skin on, lightly boiled and mashed)
- 2 kg kumara (skin on, lightly boiled and mashed)
- 12 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 20 large parsley stalks, finely chopped
- 1 kg frozen peas or mixed veges
For the sauce:
- 300 g butter
- 300 g flour
- 1 L smoked fish stock
- 4 onions, roughly chopped
- 1 handful finely chopped parsley
For the garlic bread crumb topping:
- 3 bread bags of stale bread and crusts, blitzed into crumbs
- 2 bulbs garlic, peeled and crushed
- 400 g butter
- 1 black pepper to taste
- 4 lemons, zested
Instructions
- Prepare the Fish and Stock: Smoke the fish heads, wings, and frames (use a 1:1 ratio of salt and sugar, smoke low and slow). Strip the fish meat from the bones. Use the remaining fish heads, bones, and skins to make a stock by boiling them with about 1L water for 45 minutes.
- Make the Brew: In a pot, cook the butter and flour for 10-15 minutes to create a roux, whisk in the fish stock until smooth. Add chopped onions and parsley, simmer for a few minutes.
- Make the Garlic Bread Crumb Topping: Blitz the bread into crumbs. Melt the butter with the crushed garlic, then pour the mixture over the crumbs. Mix in black pepper and lemon zest.
- Assemble the Pie: In a large bowl, gently combine the fish meat, mashed potatoes, kumara, peas, and brew. Layer the hard-boiled egg slices at the bottom of the baking dishes, then add the filling. Top with the garlicky bread crumbs.
- Cook the Pie: Bake the pies at 160°C for 30 minutes, then increase the heat to 185°C for 10 minutes to get a golden crust. Serve with lemon slices.
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