Tag: Basa

Fish Pie

  • This is a popular dish in the North of England.
  • Although it is called a ‘pie’ it is not topped with pastry but with mashed potatoes.
  • This is a simple, more traditional version using just white fish.
  • Haddock would have been the most common fish used in the past, here Basa was used.
  • This could easily be made in Poland.
  • Everyone loved this so I have included it in my recipes.

INGREDIENTS

300-400g of white fish

400ml of milk

2 tablespoons of plain flour

2 tablespoons of butter

50g of cheddar cheese – grated

2 hard boiled eggs

Flat leafed parsley – chopped.

Salt & pepper

*

400 – 600g of starchy potatoes – depends on the size of the top of the dish being used

Butter & milk to make mashed potatoes

METHOD

Pre-heat the over to GM4 – 180°C.

Have ready a rectangular or round deep oven proof dish.

Peel and boil the potatoes.

Drain and mash the potatoes with butter and milk.

*

Poach the fish in the milk.

Drain the poached fish, break into small pieces and place them in the dish.

Cut the eggs into halves or quarters.

Place the cut eggs on top of the fish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Use the milk for the poaching and the flour and butter to make a sauce.

Add the grated cheese and mix well.

Pour the sauce over the fish and eggs and mix slightly.

*

Cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes.

Use a fork to make patterns in the top.

Bake for around 44 – 55 minutes.

*

Serve with green vegetables such as peas, green beans or cabbage.

Fish Pierogi

  • I decided to try these after making fish pulpety, which were so good.
  • I adapted the filling slightly.
  • I used frozen basa fish but cod or haddock would also be good.
  • I have not made pierogi with a fish filling before – the verdict – delicious!

Ingredients – Filling

  • 150-200g cooked white fish
  • 1 onion chopped fine
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • 1 slice white bread or a small bread roll
  • 1 tablespoon of dried breadcrumbs
  • Chopped flat-leaved parsley
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • *
  • Melted butter – to serve

Method – Filling

  • Fry the onions gently in the butter till golden.
  • Leave the onions to cool.
  • Make crumbs from the white bread.
  • Chop the fish into small pieces.
  • Mix the ingredients together.
  • Season to taste.
  • Use the filling to make pierogi *in the usual way.
  • *
  • *Quick recap of pierogi instructions below

To Serve

  • These are good served just with the melted butter.
  • I also liked the gently refried ones, in the butter, the next day.

*Pierogi Instructions

Ingredients – Dough

  • 250g pasta flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
  • 150ml water
  • 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower or light olive
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk

Method – Dough

  • In a jug or bowl mix together the water, oil and the yolk.
  • Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
  • Pour in the liquid from the jug and initially use a knife to mix this into the flour and then use your hands to mix the liquid and flour to get a ball of dough.Turn this out onto a floured board and knead the dough for a few minutes until you have a smooth ball.
  • Cover and leave to rest for about ½ an hour.
  • *
  • Cut the dough into half.
  • Prepare a large tray and cover it with a clean cotton or linen tea towel and sprinkle this with flour.
  • On a floured board roll out the dough a half at a time until you have a sheet of thinly rolled dough.
  • Cut out circles using a 7 cm diameter cutter.
  • The excess dough can be re-mixed and rolled out again.
  • Around a half tablespoon of filling is put on  each circle and then they are folded over and the edges pinched together to make a good seal.
  • You learn from experience how much filling to put in as too much will make it hard to seal them and if not properly sealed they will burst on boiling.  Do not worry if you have a few mishaps – it still happens – even with experience – it is hard to salvage one that has gone wrong – just accept that there will be a few that you do not cook.
  • Place the sealed pierogi on prepared tray until they are all made, do not let then touch each other.
  • *
  • To cook the pierogi, use a large pan of boiling water to which you have added some salt and a drizzle of oil.
  • Drop the pierogi in one by one and allow them to boil.  I usually do about 5 to 6 at a time.
  • As they cook they will float to the surface, let them boil for 2 minutes and then remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain and serve with melted butter.
  • Continue boiling batches in the same water.
  • If you want to make all the pierogi to serve together then you need to get a large oven proof dish.
  • Melt lots of butter in the dish.
  • Keep the dish warm in a low oven.
  • As you take out the cooked pierogi add them to the dish and coat them with the melted butter.
  • Keep on adding more as they cook.