Irish Fish Pie
 
ingredients
750 g. (1 1/2 lbs.) firm white fish fillets
1 large leek -- chopped
2 strips lemon rind
1¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
6 parsley stalks
2 1/2 cups milk
30 g. (1 oz.) butter
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 leek chopped -- extra
1/2 cup chopped spring onions -- green onions
2 tablespoons plain flour – all purpose flour
extra milk or cream
1 Kg. (2 lbs.) potatoes -- cooked and mashed
ground pepper
1/2 cup tasty cheese -- grated
1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika -- optional.

Preheat oven to 200º C / 400º F. Grease well, 1 casserole dish

Place fish fillets in a pan, add leek, lemon rind, nutmeg, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley stalks. Pour in milk and simmer, uncovered and over a low heat, for about 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked. Carefully remove the fish fillets, strain the liquid and reserve for the sauce.

Melt butter in a pan, add garlic, extra leeks and spring onions. Cook over low heat for 7 minutes, or until leeks soften. Remove half of the leek and spring onion mixture and reserve.

To Make the Sauce: Sprinkle flour over the remaining mixture in pan. Blend until smooth. Measure the reserved fish poaching milk and make up to 11/2 cups with the extra milk or cream. Add to the blended flour in pan. Stir until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Cook for 1 minute longer.

Cut fish into chunky pieces and gently fold through the sauce. Add reserved leek and spring onion mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Season both the mashed potatoes and sauce with pepper.

Pour fish sauce into prepared casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Using a fork, form a pattern on top of potatoes. Evenly spread grated cheese over the potato topping. Sprinkle with the paprika.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and topping browns.