Saffron, Prawn & Talbot Fish Pie

I am my mother's worst nightmare, but on occasion I try to be nice! Fish pie is not my favourite but she loves it, so I tried to put my own twist on it. This is the making of a saffron stained prawn and talbot fish pie, with garden peas and what some might argue are too many sweet red chillies, but I think is perfect!

Servings: 7-8 healthy portions
Prep + cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 kg potatoes
• Approximately 300-400g king prawns and boneless talbot fish (weight will adjust according to your seafood preference)
• 50g unsalted butter
• 300ml semi-skimmed milk
• 35g plain flour
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• pinch of saffron
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• pinch of mustard
• pinch of paprika
• 2-3 sweet red chillies, chopped finely
• 100g garden peas 
• large handful of baby spinach
• vintage cheddar

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Peel, chop and boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes. 

2) Meanwhile, make the filling in a separate pan. Melt butter over medium heat until in begins to foam and sweat the onions for 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of flour at a time, continuously stirring. Add all the spices and seasoning (including saffron and bay leaves) before pouring milk. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn the flame low or off.

3) Make the mashed potato by adding a few knobs of butter and a splash of milk. I'll admit at this point, I gave up pummelling with a masher and turned to my food mixer to save me. No regrets.

4) In a large ovenproof dish, lay all your vegetables and seafood in layers before pouring the sauce on top. 

5) Spoon the mashed potato to create an even topping and sprinkle a generous amount of vintage cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.

6) Once cooked through, serve immediately on its own or with greens.