FISHERMAN’S PIE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add the haddock and salmon filets to the hot pan and sear the filets for 2-3 minutes per side until the fish is lightly browned and is just cooked through.  Remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the leeks, red pepper, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan drippings and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant and the mushrooms have release most of their juices and begin to lightly brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the salt, pepper, and corn starch to the pan and stir to coat.

Add the stock and milk to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for another 6-8 minutes until the sauce thickens to gravy consistency.  Add the lemon juice, peas, sea scallops, and shrimp to the pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  The gravy should be thick and glossy, coating the seafood which should be just cooked through.

Prepare a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick spray. Cut the cooked haddock and salmon into large pieces, 4-5” wide.  Pat them dry to remove any excess moisture, not already absorbed by the paper towels – this will keep your sauce from getting watery.   Spread the fish evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the seafood gravy over the fish in the baking dish and distribute shrimp and scallops evening across the top.

If the mashed potatoes are cold, warm them in the microwave so they are easy to spread on top of the casserole.  Using the tines of a fork make a sweeping designs on top of the potatoes.  Top with the shredded cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the casserole is golden brown and bubbly.  Garnish with parsley and devour!!

MASHED POTATOES

5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into quarters

1 large onion, chopped

1 stick cold butter

1-1 ¼ cups milk

3 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into 3-4” pieces.  If potato sizes vary, make sure they are chopped into fairly even size chunks.  Place in a large metal pot with chopped onions and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Pour into a strainer to drain.

Put drained potatoes and onions (mostly disintegrated already) back to the pot and add cold butter, ¾ cup of the milk, salt and pepper.  Whip with a hand mixer on high speed until potatoes are creamy, gradually adding the additional milk as needed to create a velvety texture.

Test taste (the best part) to make sure the seasoning is correct and add additional salt and pepper if needed.