Mushy pea fish pie

Method

• step 1

  In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of butter and gently cook the shallots and celery until softened (making sure they take on no colour).

• step 2

  Melt the rest of the butter in a separate frying pan, stir in the flour and mustard powder, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk to make a smooth sauce. Tip the shallots and celery into the white sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season well. Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks and fold into the sauce with the prawns.

• step 3

  Spread the mushy peas over the base of a deep baking dish with a lip. Spoon the fish and sauce over the top.

• step 4

  Unroll the puff pastry and use a 4-5cm round biscuit cutter to cut out circles (don’t re-roll the scraps as you need an even rise with the pastry – freeze any leftovers). Brush the tops with beaten egg, and lay over the top of the pie, overlapping so that they look like fish scales. Chill the pie for an hour in the fridge, or pop in the freezer for 20 minutes.

• step 5

  Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Brush the pastry with a second layer of beaten egg and run a knife around the edge of the pie dish to trim the excess. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp, and the sauce is bubbling. Leave to settle for 5 minutes, then spoon onto plates.