English Recipes

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 lb 10 oz white fish fillets
375ml milk
1 onion (chopped)
2 oz butter
2tbsp plain flour
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 ½ lb potatoes
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tbsp hot milk
3 tbps grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Put the fish in a non-stick pan and cover with the cold milk.
3. Add the chopped onion and cloves and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is cooked (flakes easily with a fork).
5. Drain the fish from the pan (keep the milk and onions for later).
6. Allow the fish to cool.
7. Remove any bones and flake the fish into bite size pieces.
8. Peel and quarter the potatoes.
9. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.
10. Drain the potatoes, and add the hot milk and half the butter.
11. Mash the potatoes until smooth.
12. Stir the grated cheese into the mashed potatoes.
13. Heat the other half of the butter in a pan.
14. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring all the time, for 1 minute.
15. Slowly add the reserved milk, stirring all the time, until smooth and creamy.
16. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and parsley.
17. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and fold in the fish.
18. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
19. Spoon the mash over the mixture. (You can sprinkle more grated cheese over it if you want).
20. Bake for 30 minutes.
21. Serve.

Definitions

To bake: To cook in an oven.

To drain: To remove water from ingredients cooked in liquid or from raw ingredients that have been washed in water by placing them in a sieve or colander.

To flake : To break cooked fish into individual pieces.

To fold: A method of gently mixing ingredients. The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then the two are combined by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top.

To grate: To rub food downwards on a grater to produce shreds or slices of varying thicknesses.

To mash: To break down a cooked ingredient such as potatoes into a smooth mixture using a potato masher or fork.

To peel: To remove the outer layer of a food.

To simmer: To keep a liquid just below boiling point, usually in a pan on the hob, e.g. simmer the sauce until it starts to thicken.