I combined a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie with one for a seafood-like version of Shepherd’s Pie to come up with this. A bit rich, but warming on a cold night.
2 pounds potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pound salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound cod fillet, skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shelled shrimp
1 carrot, halved and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup wine
1 spring thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 leeks (white and pale green parts), thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
Salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups fish or chicken stock or bottled clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried nutmeg
Peel potatoes, cut into cubes, and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes, add the 4 tablespoons butter, and mash. Mix in beaten egg. Set aside.
Combine the carrot, wine, 1/2 cup water, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then turn off the heat and let cool. Remove the carrot and herbs. Add the cod to the liquid and bring to a simmer over medium heat, and poach cod for 3 minutes. Remove cod to a plate, add salmon to the liquid and poach for 3 minutes. When the salmon is cooked, remove it from the liquid and add to the cod. Poach the shrimp in the same manner. Set aside fish and shellfish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, until they are tender and lightly browned. Remove mushrooms with slotted spoon and place in a 10- or 11-inch baking dish (2 1/2 to 3 quart capacity).
Melt 4 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the remaining oil in the same skillet. Add carrots, leeks, cover and cook on low heat, stirring once or twice to prevent burning, for about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and add to baking dish.
Add fish, shrimp and thawed peas to baking dish.
About 2 tablespoons of butter/oil should remain in the skillet. If not, add a little more butter to make 2 tablespoons. Stir flour into butter and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and cream and simmer, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, for about 5 minutes, or until sauce is smooth and thick.
Pour sauce into baking dish and stir gently to blend with other ingredients. Stir in green onions, parsley and tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste.
Beat mashed potatoes briefly with a wooden spoon to loosen them. Spread potatoes over the top of the baking dish, making certain to cover all edges so that the sauce doesn’t bubble up and overflow. Sprinkle a little grated nutmeg over the top of the potatoes if you like. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serves 4.
