Cod Pie

Ingredients

• cold cooked cod, flaked
• 12 oysters
• melted butter
• mashed potatoes
• 2 slices cod fillets
• pepper
• salt
• 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 large blade pounded mace
• 60 g butter
• 300 ml stock
• pastry crust
• 1 tbsp stock
• 120 ml cream or milk
• flour or butter for thickening
• lemon peel, finely chopped

Method

This is a layered fish pie with two distinct constructions: a potato-topped version and a pastry-crusted version with a savoury sauce. Both rely on the principle that flaked or fresh fish needs fat and seasoning to prevent drying during the long bake.

For the potato-topped pie, flake the cooked cod cleanly from the bone, discarding all skin and sinew. Spread the flakes across the base of a pie dish and distribute the oysters — or their liquor if you're using sauce — evenly among them. The oysters contribute umami and minerals that amplify the fish's own salinity. Pour melted butter over the lot; this fat insulates the delicate flesh from direct heat. Top with a thick layer of mashed potato, smoothing it level. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes. The pie is done when the potato surface develops a deep golden crust — if it's merely pale, your oven is running cool. The butter should have begun to separate slightly and bead at the edges.

For the pastry version, salt the raw cod fillets heavily and leave them for 4 hours. This baking|dry-cure firms the flesh and concentrates its flavour; rinse thoroughly to avoid over-saltiness. Layer the fillets in the dish, season with pepper, nutmeg, and mace (the latter two cut through richness), dot with butter, and pour in stock. Seal with pastry and bake at 190°C for 60 to 90 minutes — the crust should be deep mahogany and crisp underside, the stock fully absorbed.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Warm stock and cream together, then thicken either with beurre manié (equal parts soft butter and flour kneaded into a paste) or a flour roux, depending on your preference. Beurre manié gives a silkier, more integrated finish; a roux is sturdier. Add finely chopped lemon peel — the zest cuts the richness of cream and oyster fat — and bring to a boil to cook out the flour taste. When the pie is nearly done, cut a small hole in the pastry crown. Pour the hot sauce through it in a steady stream; it will distribute throughout the pie and amalgamate with any remaining stock. Cap the hole with a baked pastry leaf or decorative shape. Serve at once.