Fish Pie

• 1 lb. firm fish fillets (cod or snapper work well)
• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 0.75 pint milk
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. plain flour (use rice flour for gluten-free)
• 0.25 lb. mushrooms
• 0.5 lb. fresh peas
• 3 eggs
• 0.5 pint cream
• 2 oz. cheddar
• salt and pepper

Simmer the eggs gently for 8 minutes, so they are hard-boiled, and put them in the fridge for a while so they'll be easier to peel.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel the potatoes and cut them up into large chunks, then place them in the boiling water for 20 minutes until they are well done.

Place the fish in a baking tin with the bay leaf and the milk and put this in the oven for 20 minutes until just cooked through.

Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with 4 Tbsp. butter and 0.5 pint of cream, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Remove the tin from the oven and strain and reserve the cooking liquid. Flake the fish, taking care to remove any skin and bones at this point.

Now raise your oven temperature to 425F.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and stir in the flour, then add, a little at a time, the liquid you cooked the fish in, stirring it in and cooking it down a little to make a nice, creamy, sauce.

Now peel and chop the eggs, dice the mushrooms, and shell the peas, then place them, along with the fish, in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, then pour the sauce over, stirring it in gently.

Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the fish, leaving the surface rough, like a stormy sea, and grate the cheese over it all.

Place the dish in the hot oven for 20 minutes until the top surface is brown and bubbling.