In medieval times British fish pies were often cooked with spices and sugar and covered with a pastry lid coated in icing. Today it is a simple, easy to make dish.
The Romans who invaded Britain were very fond of fish, but anything that was enjoyed by the occupiers was avoided with scorn, fish in particular because of its association with the Pagan goddess Venus, when fish was eaten to honour her. Over time, fish was mainly eaten on Fridays to adhere to the teachings of the Christian Church. This was but one of many pagan customs which were assimilated by the church.
During the numerous fasting days, including the entire period of Lent, the eating of meat was strictly forbidden. This led to a huge decrease in the variety of food from which to prepare meals and many elaborate recipes evolved in an effort to make something special to eat on those non-meat days. The day of Venus, when fish was eaten in honour of the goddess, ironicly became the Friday ‘fish day’ of the Christian Church.
The many fast days, including the entire forty days during Lent, forbade the eating of any meat whatsoever. Consequently, special fish pies would be baked in which the mixture of fish and seafood was cooked with rosewater, spices, wine and sugar. The pies always were covered with a pastry lid which was often covered in iciing.
In more recent times, an unusual old recipe emerged from Cornwall, called Stargazy pie. Whole herrings are baked in the pie, heads to the centre poking through the crust, presumably gazing at the stars! Not something we would set before guests today. Although, why not? After all, if appearance is anything to judge by, it was a very brave person who ate the first oyster.
On the whole, though, people today would much prefer a simple, tasty fish pie such as in the recipe below.
Recipe for Fish Pie
Serves 4
Filling
- 1 lb. (450g) cooked cod, haddock or any white fish
- 3/4 pint 425ml) milk
- 1 oz. (25g) butter
- 3/4 oz flour (2 tablespoons)
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped small
- 3/4 oz (2 tablespoons) finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped capers
- Juice of half a small lemon
- salt and pepper to season
Topping
- 1 lb, (450 g) cooked potatoes mashed with plenty of butter and a little milk until smooth.
Method
- Place the fish into a saucepan and add just enough milk to cover the fish. Bring to boik and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Strain the milk into a measuring jug and flake the fish into large pieces.
- Melt the butter in the same saucepan that the fish was cooked in. Stir in the flour and cook gently (low heat), moving it around with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 pint (275 ml) of the milk the fish was cooked in. Bring to boil and then immediately turn heat down and simmer gently for 6/7 minutes, or until it thickens.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and add the flaked fish and all the other ingredients. Stir gently to mix everything in well.
- Put the filling into a shallow fire-proof dish. Allow to cool and then spoon the mashed potato all over the filling. Apply in separate spoonfulls and put it on lightly as you don’t it to sink down into the filling. rough it up lightly with a fork and dot with butter.
- Bake at 350 degreesF, (gas mark 4), for 20 minutes, then increase heat to 400 degresF, (Gas Mark 6), for another 10 minutes to brown the top, or you can brown it under the grill.
