Italian Fish Pie with Basil Pesto

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C. For the mash, peel the potatoes and cut into even-sized chunks. Put them in a pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer, until cooked

Step 2

Drain the potatoes, return to the pan and add the butter. Mash until smooth. Add the cream and milk and beat until light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Step 3

Meanwhile, put the cod and salmon in a frying pan, pour in the milk and add the onion and bay leaf. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand and infuse for 20 minutes. Drain the milk from the fish through a colander into a bowl, and then pour the milk into a jug – you will need about 450ml milk for the sauce

Step 4

In the meantime, plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh in cold water and peel away the skins. Cut into quarters, remove the seeds and roughly chop the flesh

Step 5

Now flake the cod and salmon into a buttered ovenproof dish. Add the prawns and tomatoes

Step 6

To make the sauce, melt 25g of the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in most of the reserved milk, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick. Stir in the Pesto and pour over the fish

Step 7

Spoon the mash on top of the fish mixture, covering it completely. Dot with the remaining butter