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Marco Pierre White |
Max and Marco’s fish pie face-off
Marco Pierre White’s ‘bland and humourless’ recipe prompted Clare Latimer to team up with historian Max Arthur to make a tastier alternative
THE other evening I felt I was watching a cross between a sea monster and Goliath but in fact it was Marco Pierre White in his new ITV series about British foods.
Rick Stein has done this idea brilliantly a few years ago and Marco’s recipes seemed very ordinary.
Our very own north London historian Max Arthur was asked to taste the fish pie in a Hampshire pub and when Max dared to say that it was not that good the big man turned “apoplectic” (Max’s word!) and even tore up his tasting card.
Another surprise in the programme was when the big man seemed to quake in his boots when surrounded by a herd of cattle being fed by the farmer.
Personally, I find his presentation bland, humourless. Perhaps he should stick to his recent job advertising stock cubes or just get back to the kitchen in his own pub where I am sure he does a very good job.
I talked to Max after the show and he told me how he would like a fish pie to taste and we sorted out a recipe.
So here are the two versions. I’d be interested to know which one you prefer. Email and let me know!
Marco Pierre White’s fish pie
Ingredients
12 Dublin Bay prawns – peeled and shelled
500g cod fillet
500g smoked haddock fillet
500g salmon fillet
3 large scallops – skirts removed
3 scallop roe
5 boiled eggs
1 small bunch of blanched young leeks
250g cheddar cheese
400 ml double cream
100 ml milk
2 stock cubes (chicken or fish)
Creamy mash potato for pie topping (made from 6 large potatoes).
Marco’s method
Take the cod, smoked haddock and salmon fillets and cut into large chunks. Place the fish pieces into round pie dish approx 12 inches in diameter. Cut the scallops in half and add to the dish along with the roe, and Dublin Bay prawns.
Add the cream to a pan and heat gently. Dissolve in two stock cubes and bring to the boil. Reduce the mixture to thicken. Pour the mixture over the fish.
Chop the boiled eggs and the blanched young leeks and sprinkle into the fish pie. Finish off with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and pat down gently.
Take the mash potato and spoon onto the top of the pie. Using the back of a fork, gently distribute the mash evenly to cover using a little bit of milk to help smooth it down.
Make small indentations over the top of the pie for decoration.
Place the fish pie in the oven on a high heat for approximately 15 minutes. When the top has browned, take out of the oven and serve immediately.
Max Arthur’s fish pie
You can use any fish you wish and remember if you want to check what fish you should and should not be eating, go to www.fishonline.org.
Ingredients
200g smoked line caught cod,
filleted
250g coley, filleted
500ml milk
1 onion, peeled and
finely chopped
4 rashers bacon, rind removed and chopped
50g butter
50g flour
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp mustard
Few drops Tabasco
Large handful parsley, finely chopped
125g frozen cockles, thawed and drained
125g frozen mussels, thawed and drained
125g frozen peas, thawed
375g puff pastry
For glaze: 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp milk.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ gas 6. Put the cod in a saucepan with the milk, bring to simmering point and then cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the milk. Fry the onion with the bacon for five minutes or until soft, but not brown. Then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour to make a roux and then gradually add the milk from the fish, stirring continuously, to make a smooth sauce.
Add the hard-boiled egg, onion and bacon, red pepper, lemon juice, black pepper, mustard, all the shellfish, peas and the cod. Mix well.
Pour into a 31cm pie dish. Roll out the pastry to the size of the dish; wet the rim and then top with the pastry.
Trim the edge with a sharp knife, press down edges with your fingers or a fork and then brush the top with the beaten egg and milk mixture.
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and well risen. Serve hot. |
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