Salmon Pie

We have about 20 pounds of wild Alaskan salmon in the freezer that we bought this summer & I really need to start putting it in the menu. Problem is, I tend to think of salmon, & fish in general, as warm weather food not the hearty comforting stuff we like in the winter. Then I remembered a classic fish pie my friend made for her English husband a while back & realized that was just the ticket.

It may not be the prettiest dish but it's darn tasty.

I started looking a fish pie recipes online & there seems to be a lot of love out there for Jamie Oliver's. I don't think it's a very classic version, there's no white sauce for one thing, but oh, was it ever tasty & perfect for winter. It sounds really weird when you started reading the ingredients & method, grated carrot & celery as the base of the filling? Still, once cooked the flavors really blended together well & there is just a hint of sweetness that comes through which I found surprising. The salmon cooked up perfectly moist & flaky. I loved the fact there was very little precooking in this recipe except for the potatoes.

I stuck relatively close to Jamie's recipe in general but adapted based on what I had on hand. He used salmon, smoked haddock & prawns in his version. I chose to just use salmon which was more than enough fish in the pie. I cut back on the amount of cheese & added some sour cream to the filling. Finally, I added some milk to the potatoes to make them fluffier. We will make this again but next time I'll add some capers or olives for a little saltiness.

Salmon Pie
(adapted from Jamie Oliver)

2 russet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled & grated
2 celery stalks, grated
2 oz sharp cheddar, grated
chopped chile pepper, 1/2 - 1 depending on how hot you like it
8 - 10 oz salmon fillet, skin & bones removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T verjus or lemon juice
big handful of flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1/4 c sour cream
salt & pepper
2 T olive oil
milk

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Put the potatoes in a pot of water to boil until soft, about 10 - 15 minutes. When cooked drain.

Meanwhile, in a 6 x 9 baking dish (an 8 x 8 would probably work too) mix together the carrot, celery, cheddar, chile pepper, salmon, verjus, parsley & sour cream. Season with a little salt & pepper.

Mash the potatoes with the olive oil, some salt & pepper & enough milk to make fluffy.

Top the salmon mixture with the potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.

4 servings.

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