Fish Pie

With beet hollandaise butter, glazed carrots and Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot

Ingredients (Makes 6 small fish pies)

• 100g butter, plus extra for cooking

• 100g plain flour

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 200g onion, chopped

• A splash of olive oil

• 250g flat mushrooms, sliced

• 1.2kg skinned fillets of cod, haddock, hake, salmon or pollock (or a mixture)

• 600ml milk

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish

• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 100g frozen peas

For the duchesse potatoes:

• 900g unpeeled potatoes, preferably Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks

• 300ml milk

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 50g butter

For the glazed carrots:

• 450g carrots

• 10g butter

• 125ml cold water

• A good pinch of sugar

• 75g drained Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot

To serve:

• Beet hollandaise butter (see the Ballymakenny potato cake recipe)

Method

1. To make the duchesse potatoes, scrub the potatoes well. Put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked – about 15 minutes for ‘old’ potatoes – strain off two-thirds of the water. Put the lid on the saucepan and put on a gentle heat to allow the potatoes to steam until they are fully cooked.

2. Peel immediately by just pulling off the skins so you have as little waste as possible. Put through a ricer or mouli legume while hot or mash until smooth.

3. While you’re peeling the potatoes, bring the milk to the boil.

4. Put the mashed potatoes in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the egg and egg yolk into the hot mashed potatoes. Add enough boiling milk to mix to a soft, light consistency suitable for piping, then beat in the butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a piping bag and set aside until ready to use for the fish pie topping.

5. To make the fish pies, melt the 100g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make a roux. Remove the pan from the heat.

6. Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the onion and sweat until soft but not coloured, then remove to a plate.

7. Increase the heat and add a little more butter and a splash of olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms in batches, season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft, then add to the onions.

8. Cut the fish into 150g individual portions and season with salt and pepper. Put the fish in a wide sauté pan in a single layer. Cover with the milk. Season with salt and pepper, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently until the fish is just cooked – this will take about 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the fish to a baking tray with a slotted spoon and carefully remove any bones or skin.

9. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

10. Bring the fish cooking liquid to the boil and thicken it by whisking in the roux. Stir in the chopped parsley and thyme, then add the onions, mushrooms, fish and frozen peas. Stir gently, taste and adjust the seasoning.

11. Spoon into six small pie dishes and pipe the duchesse potatoes on top. The pie may be prepared ahead to this point.

12. To finish, cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes if the filling and potato are warm or for 30 minutes if you’re reheating the dish later.

13. To make the glazed carrots, scrub the carrots clean and barely top and tail. Cut into slices roughly 8mm thick at an angle.

14. Put the carrots in a medium saucepan with the butter, water, sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan, reduce to a gentle heat and cook until tender, by which time the liquid should have all been absorbed into the carrots. If not, remove the lid, increase the heat and continue to cook until all the water has evaporated. Be careful, though, as the glaze can easily burn.

15. Add the drained Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot. Stir, taste and correct the seasoning. Swirl the saucepan so the carrots and beets are all coated with the glaze.

16. To serve, put the hot pies on warm plates. Top each pie with a quenelle of beet hollandaise butter. Serve with a side of glazed carrots and Ballymaloe Diced Irish Beetroot with some chopped fresh parsley sprinkled over.

Sausage & Cheddar Quiche

With sourdough crumble and Ballymaloe Relish

Ingredients (Serves 8)

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 175g plain flour

• 75g butter, chilled and diced

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tsp cold water

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 100g onion, chopped

• 3 eggs

• 2 egg yolks

• 300ml double cream

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

• 175g cooked sausage, chopped

• 110g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• Ballymaloe Relish

• Sourdough crumble (see the breakfast pie recipe)

• Green salad

Method

1. To make the pastry, sieve the flour and a generous pinch of salt into a large bowl. Toss the butter cubes in the flour, then rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

2. Whisk the egg yolk and cold water together. Using a fork, add just enough of this liquid to bring the pastry together, then collect it into a ball with your hands.

3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop and use to line a 23cm diameter loose-bottomed baking tin. The pastry should come up just above the top of the tin. Line with parchment paper and fill to the top with dried beans. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5. Blind bake the tart shell in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the beans and paper – the base should be almost fully cooked. Brush the base with a little beaten egg. Put back in the oven for 3–4 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

6. To make the filling, heat the oil in a sauté pan over a low heat. Add the chopped onion, cover the pan with a lid and sweat gently for 10 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Add the onion, cream, herbs, cooked sausage and cheese. Mix well and add some salt and pepper. Fry off a teaspoon to taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

8. Pour the filling into the pastry base and bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until the centre has just set.

9. To serve, spread the top of the tart with Ballymaloe Relish. Top with sourdough crumble and serve with a green salad on the side.