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Dear me, I havent been cooking lately, have I? I didnt even make this; my mom did. Its Akiwenzies Smoked Fish Pie from "Good Food For All" by Joshna Maharaj of The Stop. My excuse is that I had no kitchen sink (well, okay, the sink was there but the taps were gone) for much of last week. The good news was I finally figured out where the bad smell in the kitchen was coming from. The bad news was that I stuck my head under the sink to look for something, and oh, dear. Anyway. I now have a nice, new and hopefully much sturdier, leak-free kitchen tap thanks to Mr. Ferdzys strenuous efforts.

Mom made this pretty much by the recipe, although I suspect she might have cut down the butter a bit; thats what I tend to do and I got that trick from her originally, soooo....! Mind you, she certainly left in enough for this to be very rich and delicious.

Make 4 to 6 servings
1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time


1 kg (2 pounds) potatoes
1/2 cup unsalted butter
salt & pepper
4 large eggs
1 kg (2 pounds) smoked fish
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup soft unbleached flour
3 cups milk
a pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Wash and trim the potatoes, and cut them in chunks. Put them in a pot with water to cover and boil for about 10 minutes, until tender.

Drain the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Cool enough to handle, then peel the potatoes. (Or dont. If I had been making this, I wouldnt have bothered.) At any rate, then mash the potatoes with the first quantity of butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Again, if I had been making this I would have used about half the butter and a bit of buttermilk. )

Put the eggs in a pot of water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and leave them covered for 10 minutes. Cool the eggs in cold water, then peel them and cut them into chunks.

In 9" x 13" baking pan or other large casserole dish, arrange the egg pieces and the fish, broken into bite-sized flakes. Sprinkle the parsley over them. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the butter and flour into a saucepan, and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly mix in the milk, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more, until the mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper and a little scrape of nutmeg. Pour the sauce evenly over the eggs and fish in the casserole.

Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the fish and sauce. Rough up the surface a little with a fork, and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Braised White Beans & Root Vegetables.

I have already posted two recipes for using leftover fish: fish pancakes and the humble plokkfiskur, which is currently enjoying something of a renaissance. Here is one more leftover fish recipe, and two more will be posted soon.

You will need:
Enough cooked leftover fish and potatoes to serve four people, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooked vegetables, if desired
100 g butter or tallow
Salt and pepper
Chives or onions, chopped

Heat the butter in a frying pan until it stops foaming. Gently fry the fish and potatoes and onions (if using) in the butter until heated through and slightly browned. Do not scramble the food around in the pan much – the fish pieces should be intact when served. Flavour with salt and pepper to taste, and if you’re using chives, sprinkle them over the dish before serving.

From 160 fiskréttir by Helga Sigurðardóttir

I sometimes make this delicious fish soup. Its especially warming on a cold winters evening.

Serves 4.
4-5 potatoes , diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbs olive oil
1 litre water
1 tbs fish bouillon
1 sprig thyme or basil (optional)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into finger-wide slices
2 carrots, julienned
1 tsp lemon juice
400-500 g white fish or 250 g white fish and 250 g shrimp, lobster/crab and/or scallops
optional: broccoli, cauliflower, celery, chives, parsley

Fry the potatoes and onion lightly in the oil (use a deep saucepan or soup pot). Add the water, fish bouillon, thyme, garlic and sun-dried tomato slices*, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the julienned carrots to the soup. If you are using broccoli or cauliflower, slice broccoli stalks and cut cauliflower into small florets and add with the carrots. Cook for approx. 5 minutes. If using, julienne the celery and cut broccoli heads into florets and add. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Cut the fish fillet(s) into strips (cut fillets across). Add fish and lobster/crab/shrimps (if using) and cook until done - approx 5-7 minutes, depending on size and thickness. (If you are using scallops, let them cook for a maximum of 2 minutes only, as they will become as tough as chewing gum if overcooked.) Add lemon juice. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with finely cut chives or small sprigs of parsley.
Serve with crusty bread and perhaps a fresh salad.

*If the tomatoes are dry, prepare as indicated on packaging - if they are in oil, drain before adding to the soup.