Frozen Fish Pie #CoolCookery

I ate a lot of frozen food growing up. It was the done thing back then. From pizza & fish fingers, to chips & chicken nuggets. Having kids of my own now I can 100% understand the need to just cook something you know your kids will eat instead of enduring the daily arguments over meals. And I'll be the first to admit to giving the boys fish fingers & peas at least once a week. But frozen food isn't just your dreaded beige meals that kids are drawn to.

There's foods that I'll always buy frozen over fresh, like peas, simply because they're fresher & keep for much, much longer. And we're notorious for buying meats on deals & then freezing them as we know we won't use them before their date. In that sense, freezers are a modern day blessing! Not only is the food we buy frozen fresher (nutrients locked in and all that jazz) but it cuts down on the immense amount of food waste we'd otherwise have.

So when Cool Cookery got in touch to see if we'd like to the part in their challenge to make a recipe from frozen ingredients, to say I was up for it was an understatement! I brainstormed ideas for a few days and eventually decided to give Fish Pie - something I've wanted to try making for years - a go. Aside from fish fingers, fish isn't really something I ever buy frozen, partly because we have a fab [expensive] fishmongers on our door step & partly because I'm not in the habit of buying frozen meats, instead opting for fresh meat which inevitably getting put in the freezer anyway (yeah, logic...). When it came to getting the fish for our Frozen Fish Pie we headed to Iceland. I knew I wanted some Salmon & a white fish but when I found that they had a 3 for £10 deal on their bags of frozen fish fillets, instead of settling for just Cod or Haddock, I went for both. Obviously you could still use one of the other. The great thing about frozen fish too is that, like peas, it's frozen so quickly after being caught that it's packed with nutrients.

When it came to the veg side of the Frozen Fish Pie, frozen peas were a given. But when I found pre-diced, frozen onions, I was amazed. I swithered at first, thinking that onions are so cheap anyway that it was perhaps a hugely lazy option but then I quickly came to my senses & realised I'm a Mum of two wee boys who would rather I played cars than chop onions, so in the basket they went. And in the basket they'll go from now on! I also bought frozen mash. I actually picked them up & put them back, only opting to actually buy them at the last minute. I make good mash, I didn't need a frozen version! But I got into the spirit of #CoolCookery and decided that I'd give it a go. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Frozen mash does look weird but it tasted good enough that I finished the leftovers!

Ingredients.   
• 300ml of Milk

• 1 Frozen Cod Fillet

• 1 Frozen Haddock Fillet

• 1 Frozen Salmon Fillet

• Handful of Frozen Cooked Prawns (optional)

• 1/2 cup of Frozen Diced Onions

• 1 bunch of Frozen Spinach

• Handful of Frozen Peas

• 30g of Plain Flour

• Teaspoon of English Mustard

• 350g of Frozen Mashed Potato

• Handful of Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Method.   

1. Pre-heat your iven to 180°c. Place the milk in a large pan and add the frozen fish fillets & prawns, slowly simmering on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish has defrosted & cooked.
2. Meanwhile, add the onions to another pan with a little oil and again simmer on a low heat. Whilst the onion is simmering, defrost a bunch of frozen spinach in the microwave & add to the onion once defrosted.
3. Once the fish is cooked, remove from the milk with a slotted spoon, keeping the milk to one side as this will be the base for the sauce. If your fish has skin on it (only our salmon did) then removed this at this stage, then flake the fish fillets as big or small as you like - we like ours nice & chunky!
4. Add the flour to the onion & spinach, stirring to a paste. Allow to heat for a few minutes, then gradually add the milk, ensuring each amount is thoroughly mixed before adding the next. Once all the milk is added you should have a nice sauce consistency. Season your sauce with a little pepper, salt (optional - we don't add it as the boys were eating this) and the teaspoon of mustard.
5. Once you have a delicious creamy sauce, add your fish & peas, giving it a gentle mix to combine. It can be tempting to just eat this mixture with a spoon but try to resist! Instead spoon it into your pie tray, ready for the mashed potato topping.
6. Defrost the mashed potato as per the packs instruction (ours is a few minutes in the microwave - so simple!) and once ready, mix in the cheese & have a taste! Trust me, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
7. Spoon the mashed potato onto the fish filling in your our tin, evenly spreading out & fluffing up with a frost. Place into your pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, until the top is lovely & golden.

Watch out for fish thieves when you're making this. "Pink fish," is apparently the best.

I'm working with Britmums & CoolCookery.co.uk highlighting the versatility, economy and nutritional benefits of cooking with frozen food. All opinions are my own. For recipes & ideas visit Cool Cookery.

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