Stargazy seafood pie

Behold the stargazy seafood pie! This classic Cornish dish always makes a statement with its unique feature of fish heads (or scampi in this recipe) peering through the crust, as if gazing up to the stars. This pastry-topped pie is filled with an array of seafood, then covered in potato mash underneath a buttery pastry crust.

INGREDIENTS

500ml milk

200g firm white fish fillets

100g butter

35g plain flour

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

200g smoked ocean trout, flaked into large chunks

12 scallops

6 scampi or yabbies, peeled and cut into big chunks

3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and quartered lengthways

50g cheddar cheese, grated

handful parsley, roughly chopped

1 egg, extra

SHORT CRUST PASTRY

225g plain flour

pinch salt

80g butter, chilled and cut into cubes

60g lard

POTATO MASH

550g potatoes, peeled and quartered

50g butter

2 tablespoons milk

salt, to taste

METHOD

To make the pastry, put the flour, salt, butter and lard in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add about 2 tablespoons cold water, a little bit at a time, until it forms a rough dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface, gather the dough together, wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To make the mash, put the potatoes in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil over a medium–high heat for 10–15 minutes, or until softened. Drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan, add the butter and milk, then mash until smooth. Season with salt and put the lid back on.

Pour the milk into a saucepan, place the fish in the milk and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until just cooked. Remove the saucepan from the heat, lift the fish out onto a plate. Once cool enough to handle, flake the fish into large chunks. Keep the milk.

Melt 50 g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to froth up. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the flour is cooked to a golden colour, about 1 minute. Pour in half the reserved milk, whisk until smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk, let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir to mix well. Reduce the heat to low, add all of the seafood, simmer for 1 minute then put the lid on and turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface until it is about 5 mm in thickness and large enough to cover the top of a 1.5 litre baking dish. Using the dish as a guide, cut the pastry about 2 cm larger than the rim of the dish.

Fill the baking dish with the seafood mixture, then top with the eggs and scatter the cheese and parsley over evenly. Spread the potato mash over the filling until fully covered. Drape the pastry over the dish, crimp the pastry around the edge to seal. Prick six holes on the pastry then place a scampi head in each hole as if they are gazing at the stars.

Beat the extra egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the pastry. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is heated through.

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