Creamy Fish Leek Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Make sauce for filling:
• Wash leek in a bowl of water, then lift out and drain well. Cook leek, carrot, and celery in butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 7 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. (Sauce will be thick.) Remove pan from heat.
• Make crust:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter cubes with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in milk and dill with a fork until mixture just comes together.
• Gather dough into a ball, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Roll out with a floured rolling pin into an 8-inch square (1/2 inch thick), then cut out 4 biscuits using cutter.
• Make filling and bake pies:
• Sprinkle cod with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir in fish, then divide among ramekins. Top each ramekin with a biscuit, then brush biscuits with melted butter. Arrange ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake until sauce is bubbling and biscuits are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• *Available at Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435).

Steps:

• Tip the flour, salt, thyme and mustard powder into a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the butter and pulse again to a fine breadcrumb texture. Add half the egg and 1 tbsp cold water and pulse until it comes together into a dough (you can add up to 1-2 tbsp more water if it's dry). Tip the dough onto a work surface and knead briefly. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• To make the filling, cook the potato in a pan of boiling water for 8-10 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the leeks for 5 mins. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins, then add the milk, a little at a time, stirring between each addition to combine. Add the cream, cheese and mustard, and cook for 1-2 mins more until the cheese has melted. Stir in the chives and season. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 mins.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 8. Gently fold the salmon, potato, haddock and prawns into the creamy leek mixture, then spoon into a 27cm round pie dish. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Drape the pastry over the pie, then trim the excess. Crimp the edges, then shape the off-cuts to decorate the top, if you like. Brush with the remaining egg, then bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 mins until golden. Serve with steamed greens.

Steps:

• Whisk together sour cream and flour.
• Wash leeks, then put in a large heavy skillet with butter, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with parchment, then with a lid, and simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in sour-cream mixture and remaining 1/3 cup water.
• Season fish with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then add to leeks and cook, covered with parchment and lid, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with dill.

Steps:

• Sprinkle fish on all sides with salt and pepper.
• Trim off root ends of leeks. Cut each leek crosswise in half. Put upper green portion to another use, such as soup, or discard.
• Slice white part of leek lengthwise and rinse thoroughly between the leaves. Cut into thin strips, then into very thin cubes. There should be about 3 1/2 cups.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add leeks. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes and add wine and fish broth or clam juice. Cover closely and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Swirl in 6 tablespoons of butter and the chives or parsley. Add salt and pepper.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a large, heavy skillet and add fish fillets. Cook about 2 minutes on one side or until golden brown. Cook about 1 minute on second side. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillets. This may have to be done in two batches.
• Spoon equal batches of the leek mixture into centers of four warmed plates. Cover each portion with one cooked fillet. Spoon 1 teaspoon of lemon juice over each fillet and serve.