Luxury Fish Pie

Method

• For the cheesy mash topping, tip the potatoes into a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender.
• Drain very well, mash until smooth (don't use a food processor - the mixture will be gluey), then return to the heat for a minute, stirring constantly, to dry out.
• Add the butter and half the cheese, stir through, then beat in the crème fraîche. Season and put to one side until needed.
• In making the sauce, melt the butter in a large frying pan and, as soon as it is bubbling, quickly add the pieces of fish so that they lie in a single layer.
• Cook over high heat for just a minute or two on each side, so that the fish colour is very pale and not at all browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the flour to the buttery juices in the pan and cook over gentle heat for two to three minutes, stirring, to make a roux.
• Add the onion, bay leaves, milk, stir, then cook gently for five minutes, stirring every so often, until thickened.
• Add the fish pieces and stir gently into the sauce. Turn off the heat, then add the dill and half of the spinach.
• Taste and season, bearing in mind that the cheese will be salty, then cover the pan with a lid or foil and leave to cool.
• When cooled, stir in the remaining spinach, cover the pan and leave again for a few minutes.
• To finish the pie, pile the fish with its sauce on a baking dish and the top is the cheesy mash.
• Scatter the remaining cheddar over the top and bake in the preheated oven at 220C/425F/Gas 7 for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
• Brush the sauce on top of the pie with a pastry brush if it looks too thick.
• Serving Suggestions: Serve with a squirt of lemon juice, accompanied by peas or green beans.