Fish pie

1 fillet of smoked haddock (un-dyed)

1 medium fillet of salmon

1 large fillet of white fish (cod, haddock, coley, whiting...)

300ml milk

Salt and pepper

Bay leaf

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon plain flour

500g floury potatoes

50g butter

50ml double cream

Milk, as required

Salt and pepper

12 king prawns (fresh or coooked)

100g frozen peas

Place a very large frying pan (with a lid), or a large saucepan, on the hob over a high heat. Add the 3 fillets of fish, milk, a good twist of salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, put on the lid, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Put the potatoes on to boil. When boiled, mash them with the butter and cream. Add milk until the mash is quite soft and smooth. Season with a good twist of salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Remove the fish from the milk, to a plate. Make a white sauce with the flour, butter and strained milk (see recipe). While the sauce is cooking, remove the skin and any bones from the fish, and break it gently into flakes and chunks.

In a large oven dish, place the prawns, peas, sauce and flaked fish. Mix around, to distribute evenly. Pipe* or spoon the mash over the mixture, in a layer. Fork the top into peaks (for that lovely crunchy topping).

Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and sizzling.

*For a DIY piping bag, take a large plastic sandwich bag. Fill it half full of mash, twist the top closed. Holding the top closed in one hand, cut a corner off the bag with your other hand (using scissors!). Gently squeeze the bag, with the hand holding the top, guiding the pointy end of the bag with your other hand.

Potatoes dauphinoise

50g butter

500g new potatoes (sliced thinly – no need to peel)

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

200ml double cream

200ml milk

Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Take a 10cm square (or similar size but different shape) ovenproof dish, and butter the bottom and sides. You may as well use up the butter. Spread a thin layer of sliced potatoes over the bottom. Add a thin layer of onion and a few slices of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat, finishing with a (neat) layer of potatoes. Pour over the cream, and as much of the milk as you need so you can see milk through the gaps in the potato layer. Cover the dish with foil, and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil, and return the dish to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

If you like, you can sprinkle the top of the potatoes with grated parmesan, before the last 15 minutes of cooking, but I don’t think the dish needs cheese.