Fish Pie

This cheesy fish pie is a British staple. It can be made very cheaply with frozen fish or smartened up for special occasions with prawns or smoked fish.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen white fish pieces
• one cup Strong cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 pint milk
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 knob butter(about 2 Tbsp.)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Directions:

Fill a large pan with milk and drop in the pieces fish, still frozen. Add salt and pepper and a bayleaf it you have one. Simmer the fish pieces for about half an hour - by which time they will be fully cooked. Take off the heat and rest for another half hour to let the fish infuse the milk.

Melt a knob of butter (or margarine) in a small saucepan, lift from the heat and add a tablespoon of flour. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon till the butter and flour are absorbed, then slowly start pouring the milk from the fish pan into the butter/flour mixture stirring all the time until you have a thickening roux sauce. Add grated cheese.

Put the pieces of fish in a bowl, cover with the cheese sauce and add the eggs, sliced, if you want them. Either eat on the spot or put aside and heat up later. Serve with salad or green vegetables. It is delicious topped with mashed potatoes.

By Lucy