Annie Bell's Curried Smoked Haddock Pie

Smoked haddock pie with a bit of curry comfort

1. 1

   Have ready a 35cm oval gratin dish, about 2.5 litre capacity or similar. Alternatively, you can make individual pies, as in the picture.
   
   Place the haddock in a large pan. Pour over the milk, tuck in the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Cover partially with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Strain the cooking liquor into a bowl, and when the fish is cool enough to handle, flake it as coarsely as possible, discarding the skin.
   
   Melt the butter in a small nonstick pan over a medium heat, stir in the curry powder and the flour and allow to seethe for a minute. Very gradually work in first the wine, then the fish’s cooking liquor and finally the cream. Season with black pepper. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer over a very low heat for 10 minutes. Stir the sauce now and again, or use a mini whisk, to disperse any lumps.
   
   Taste to check the seasoning, then fold in the haddock and the prawns. Transfer the mixture to the gratin dish and leave to cool (this helps prevent the topping sinking in).
   Peel and cut up the potatoes and cook in a large pan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain them in a colander and allow the steam to evaporate.
   
   Pass through a mouli-légumes or a sieve back into the pan. Melt the butter with the cream and some seasoning in a small pan and beat this into the mash, followed by the egg yolks. Smooth this over the top of the filling, forking the surface into furrows or sculpting with a spoon (at this point you can cover and chill the pie a day in advance).
   
   To cook, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 40 minutes for the large pie (less for individual pies, a little longer if cooking from chilled) until crusty and golden on the surface.