Have you ever seen a recipe that looked so mouthwatering, so delicious that you can taste the food while reading the recipe? That happens quite often to me since reading a cookbook combines three things that I am passionate about- reading, cooking, and yes. eating. I was reading a cookbook the other night and I saw a fish pie recipe. It looked tasty enough but I got to thinking- how can I make this better? I had some frozen uncooked crabmeat, so my Crabmeat and Fish Pie was born. It is a crabby, cheesy pie, made extra good with the addition of poached whitefish filets and the delicious poaching liquid. I served it as part of a simple dinner with a green salad and crusty garlic bread.
Crabmeat and Fish Pie
500 grams raw crabmeat
4 whitefish filets
juice of 1 lime
salt
black pepper
3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped parsley.
1/3 cup very hot water
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup grated sharp cheese.
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- Prepare the crabmeat by squeezing half the lime juice over.
- Add salt and black pepper, about 1/4 tsp of each. Mix well and cover.
- Let marinate for 10 minutes in refrigerator.
- Prepare fish filets in the same way in a separate bowl. Add 1 tsp chopped parsley.
- Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add half the onion and cook until transluscent.
- Add half the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds more.
- Add the crabmeat and saute until cooked, about 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.
- In a large saucepan with a cover, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium/low heat.
- Add the rest of the onion and cook until transluscent, then add the garlic.
- Saute gently for 30 seconds.
- Gently add the fish filets.
- Add the hot water and white wine. Add another tbsp butter and 1 tsp salt.
- Bring to a boil, then cover the saucepan and remove from heat.
- Leave covered for up to 10 minutes until filets are cooked.
- Transfer fish from cooking liquid onto a plate and cool slightly.
- Gently flake fish using a fork into the large bowl with the crab.
- Place saucepan with fish cooking liquid over high heat and reduce this by 2/3.
- Make the cheese sauce- in a medium saucepan over low heat add the undiluted cream of mushroom soup.
- Add the reduced fish liquid, whisk well to combine and bring to a boil.
- Add 1/2 cup cheese and cayenne pepper and mix well until smooth.
- If liquid is too thick add some milk or cream to dilute slightly.
- Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl add the cooked crabmeat, flaked fish, breadcrumbs and cheese sauce. Gently fold all ingredients together until combined.
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- Grease a 8x8 baking dish.
- Put combined mixture into dish, dot some extra butter over top.
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- Sprinkle 1/4 cheese over top and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Serve and enjoy!
The last word- This dish is a *mite* labour intensive but the result is definitely worth it!
