Fish Pie

Left-over smoked fish makes a tasty pie. Photo / Jason Dorday

Leftover smoked fish can be made into a tasty fish pie.

1 Pick over the fish, being careful to remove any bones.

2 Put 3 cups of milk into a large saucepan and warm. Add some onion slices, a bay leaf, a few peppercorns and allow to infuse for 10 mins.

3 Strain out the aromatics and use this milk to poach any vegetables you might want to include in the pie - carrot slices, celery slices, diced onion, fennel slices, frozen peas, some spinach or silverbeet leaves, whatever you fancy and have on hand.

4 Strain the contents when your vegetables have just cooked, reserving the milk.

5 Put your fish and vegetables into a casserole dish.

6 Make a white sauce with 3 tablespoons of butter, half a cup of flour and the warm milk. Pour this over the fish mixture, season well and add chopped parsley, dill or chives and maybe some lemon zest.

7 Arrange slices of cooked potatoes across the top of the pie, brush with oil and bake for 30 mins in a moderate oven (or you can use leftover mashed potato for your topping.

NB: Any whole fish may be used but it needs to be fleshy. Salmon works beautifully but will be more expensive.