Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe

This Lancashire hotpot-meets-fish-pie, by way of Chiang Mai, is one of my favourite things to make for a crowd, said Gurdeep Loyal. It celebrates the affinity of Thai green paste for seafood – a symbiotic marriage of deliciousness that never fails to delight – with a golden-yellow crispy crust that is sure to impress.

Ingredients (serves four)

• 50g desiccated (dried) coconut
• 30g lemongrass
• 30g fresh galangal or ginger root
• zest of 1 and juice of 2 limes
• 3 tbsp Thai green paste
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 350g uncooked fish pie mix, in bite-sized pieces
• 150g uncooked peeled prawns (shrimp)
• 2 large celery sticks, finely diced
• 50g floury potatoes
• 300ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• pinch of caster sugar
• handful of Thai basil leaves, chopped
• 50g butter
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• fine sea salt

Method

• Dry-toast the coconut in a frying pan over a medium-low heat for 2-3 mins until it turns golden brown but not burnt, then tip onto a plate to cool.
• Next, make a paste in a small blender or grinder by whizzing together the lemongrass, galangal, lime juice and zest, and 1½ tsp of salt – add a splash of water if needed. Pour the paste into a bowl, then whisk through the Thai green paste and fish sauce.
• Add the fish pie mix, prawns, coconut and diced celery. Stir well, then pour into the base of a deep-sided 18x22cm pie dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
• Meanwhile, use a mandoline or very sharp knife to slice the potatoes into very thin round discs 1.5-2mm thick, then set aside.
• Next, whisk together the coconut milk, cornflour and a pinch of sugar, until fully combined. Pour over the fish and prawns, then scatter the chopped basil on top. Layer the potato on top, overlapping into a spiral design to cover the filling completely.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan with the turmeric, nigella seeds and a pinch of salt, whisking well, then brush over the top of the potatoes.
• Place the fish pie on a baking tray to catch any spillage and bake for 35-40 mins, until cooked through and crispy golden on top. Cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly and, if you like it extra-crispy, finish under a hot grill for 3-5 mins.
• Remove the pie from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins before diving in. Serve with a green salad.

Taken from Flavour Heroes: 15 Modern Pantry Ingredients to Amplify Your Cooking by Gurdeep Loyal.

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