Chowder pie

• serves 4

• Preparation time: 20

• Cooking time: 20

Ingredients

400g purged clams or mussels
100ml white wine
2 tbsp butter
100g smoky bacon, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 white onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 tbsp flour
400ml milk
100ml cream
4 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 sheet Pampas puff pastry
1kg blue-eye trevalla fillet (or similar firm
white fish), cut into 4 pieces
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan and tip in shellfish and wine, then cover and cook until shells have opened. Strain and reserve liquid. Remove shellfish meat from shells and reserve.
2. Place butter into a saucepan, add bacon and gently fry until the bacon has released some of its fat but has not yet started colouring. Add garlic, onion and carrots, and cook until they have started to soften. Sprinkle in flour and stir vigorously, then slowly add milk, shellfish liquid and cream, stirring the whole time to avoid any lumps forming. Finally add thyme, oregano and parsley and bring to the simmer.
3. Preheat oven to 190°C. Cut a disc of pastry to fit your pie dish. While sauce is still hot, place sauce, fish and shellfish into pie dish. Do not overfill your dish - fill it to just underthe lip. Quickly place pastry disc on top, brush with egg wash, then put straight into the hot oven. The pie should take no longer than about 20 minutes to cook.
4. Serve straight away with a big bowl of creamy mashed potato and a green salad.

Notes