A Quick Fish Pie Supper
I like fish pies and there are several entries for fish pie. If I have time, I will cook my version of Jamie Oliver’s Fish Pie.
But today, I found a new gluten-free fish pie in Marks and Spencer, so I had to try it.
I cooked it in the microwave and it was of a very different type to Jamie’s, being creamy rather than having a good proportion of vegetables. Although, both have a potato topping, rather than a pastry pie-crust.
It was well-worth buying, cooking and eating, at a cost of £3.80 for one.
Note the tomato sauce in the pictures. I’ve found some very dodgy fish pies and cooked some of my own, in my time, that needed it.
This one certainly did not!
Next time, I’ll cook it in the oven, although I think both methods will work, but you may get a different texture of pie.
How To Cook Gluten-Free Fish
As a coeliac, I get fed up with restaurants, who can’t cook fish in a simple gluten-free way.
On my trip to Sufbury, which I wrote about in Marks Tey Station And The Sudbury Branch, I needed to eat something.
I did find my usual stand-by of a Pizza Express, but felt that I might be better to wait until I got back to London and buy a gluten-free wrap or sandwich in Liverpool Street station.
I then came across the Codfather, which had a sign saying they did gluten-free fish and chips on Sunday.
The waitress said they could do me a plain grilled fish with new potatoes and vegetables, which I had.
It was excellent and I can heartily recommend the Codfather in Sudbury.
I can’t understand, why more restaurants, don’t use this simple method to satisfy, those like me, who need gluten-free food.
On BBC Breakfast this morning, there is a story about problems in our seaside resorts.
How many of them have a restaurant that sells gluten-free fish lunches and inners to the standard of the Codfather or Kubicki in Gdansk?
A quick search has found decent places in Brighton, Hastings and Blackpool, but others places don’t seem so well served.
Serial Cooking – Lemon And Spinach Cod Gratin
This recipe is another from Lindsey Bareham in The Times.
Lindsey called it a speedy gratin, based on an idea from a reader.
I made it as one large one for two helpings for myself.
Serial Cooking – Smoked Haddock And Curried Rice
This recipe is another from Lindsey Bareham in The Times.
Lindsey called this an incredibly lazy twist on kedgeree. I have tried to make it even lazier.
Note.
- I started with a single Marks and Spencer’s smoked haddock. Just two pounds and no bones or skin.
- I hard-boiled an extra egg for the fridge
- I used an onion instead of shallots.
- I didn’t have any fresh chives or coriander
I rather liked it for a New Year’s Eve supper.
Cinty’s Fish Pie With Celia
Cinty’s fish pie is excellent and goes down well with a beer.
Cinty’s Fish Pie With Celia
I made two and the other kept in the fridge for a couple of days.
Serial Cooking – A Simple Kedgeree
This simple kedgeree comes from Lindsey Bareham in The Times.
It was one of the best meals that I’ve cooked serially.
I only ate half and will pack the rest for my trip to Rotherham on Saturday.
Gluten-Free Wednesday
The reason I went to Haverstock Hill was not to see the dreadful eyesores, but as it was Wednesday, it was to have gluten-free fish and chips at Oliver’s.
It was a very worthwhile trip and with the exception of some fish and chips at Rick Stein’s in Padstow, which cost probably a lot more, it was the best I’ve eaten. In some ways that is an unfair comparison, as in Cornwall I was with C. And then for many years before I was diagnosed as a coeliac, I never ate battered fish. Something was probably telling me, it was poisoning my gut.
But the plaice and chips today was superb. C hated chips, but she’d have loved these. There can be no better accolade!
My First Shop-Bought Fishcakes In A Dozen Years
I was in Marks and Spencer at Eastfield and looking for a piece of fish for my supper, when I saw some gluten-free fishcakes.
I probably haven’t had any since Waitrose in Newmarket stopped selling their locally-sourced ones in about 2000.
But I do like fishcakes and except for the odd meal in an expensive restaurant, I’ve hardly ever eaten any in the intervening years.
I actually bought one packet of the salmon and one of the cod, so tonight, I ate one of each and put the others in a sealing container for perhaps Sunday.
They didn’t disappoint, after I cooked them in the oven at 220°C for 16-18 minutes.
I think it’s true to say that these and other products in Marks and Spencer’s Made Without Wheat range, taste so good, that even the most fussy of eaters couldn’t tell the difference between these and the standard products.
The only problem with their gluten-free products is finding the new ones in the store.
I found these excellent fishcakes totally by accident.
Cooking Salmon The Mary Berry Way
I’m trying to get my B12 levels up and to this end. I decided to cook myself some salmon.
I found this recipe on the BBC web site, that was created by Mary Berry. It’s called baked salmon with parmesan and parsley crust.
Cooking Salmon The Mary Berry Way
I cooked it using two salmon fillets from a pack and substituting a slice of Genius bread for the breadcrumbs, by pulverising it with the parmesan and parsley in my Little Chopper.
I shall be cooking it again as it was good and very tasty.
Asparagus Fish Bake
I cooked this recipe on Thursday night and there was enough to warm up the part I didn’t eat for yesterday.
The original recipe is here and as it is an American one, I’ve converted it into sensible units.
I used the following.
- 6 medium fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2.5 centimetre pieces
- A two-pack of Waitrose haddock
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- 200 mg. milk
- 100 gm grated cheddar cheese
- Two decrusted slices of Genius bread
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
And this is the method used.
1. Place the asparagus in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and place in a 1.3 litre. baking and top with fish; set aside.
Asparagus Covered By Fish
2. In a small saucepan, saute onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over fish.
3. I then sprinkled the breadcrumbs I made with the Genius bread over the top.
Ready For The Oven
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork. I nearly did cook it at 350°, but of course that was the little-used Fahrenshite. I used 180°C.
The Cooked Bake
It was delicious and the second portion needed about 15 minutes at 180°C to warm through after twenty-four hours in the fridge.
The more I create crusts with Genius bread, the more I think, it’s an ideal way to cover a bake or pie.
The Anonymous Widower 