Scrub the potatoes clean. Place them in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool a little.
Rinse the haddock and prawns.
Pour 400ml of milk into a saucepan. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns and heat to just below boiling point. Add the fish and prawns and poach for about 4-5 minutes.
Remove the haddock and prawns on to a plate with a slotted spoon. Squeeze the lemon over them and set aside.
Strain the poaching milk through a sieve into a clean jug.
TURN THE OVEN ON TO 180˚C/160˚C FAN/GAS 4
Put the saffron strands into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Wash and finely chop the parsley.
Melt 25g of butter in a saucepan. Stir in the cornflour and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the poaching milk slowly, stirring after each addition.
Return the pan to the hob and cook over a very low heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
Stir in the chopped parsley, add a grating of nutmeg, a little salt and a generous grinding of black pepper and set aside.
Peel the potatoes and mash them in the pan. Heat the remaining milk. Add the butter and the hot milk to the mash and stir continuously over a very low heat until the milk has been absorbed.
Add the saffron strands and infusing liqueur to the mash together with a little salt and stir thoroughly.
Arrange the fish in a 22cm round oven dish. Pour the parsley sauce over and then spread or pipe the saffron mash on top.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden on top. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
This sustainable fish supper is simple to put together yet an impressive dish to serve to friends.
The flavours are fantastic: creamy, smoky fish under a comforting blanket of aromatic mash. Perfect for winter entertaining!
This pie can be frozen for up to 2 months. For best results defrost overnight then bake at 190˚C/170˚C FAN/GAS 5 for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden.