Easy Eats: Crack & Pop Fish and Cauliflower Pie

Sam Parish has a delightful take on the classic fish pie that includes using salmon skin as ‘fish bacon’. Photo: Sam Parish

Named after the cracking noise that ensues as you spoon into this pie, and the pop from the sound of the salmon skin crackling in the oven as it bakes, this is a delightful twist on the classic. Offering a truly satisfying meal that's both easy to prepare and deliciously warming for winter, it's perfect for a family dinner. Tender veggies, creamy sauce, and succulent hot smoked New Zealand King Salmon, all topped with crisp golden filo pastry. This pie is sure to become a favourite in your household! And trust me with using the skin—it's like fish bacon on top of this pie!

Serves 4-6 / Prep time: 10 mins / Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 100g garlic butter (can substitute with butter and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves)
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets
• 1 chicken stock pot or cube
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp plain flour
• 300ml cream
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas
• 180g piece hot smoked New Zealand King Salmon
• 1 tsp dried dill
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 sheets filo

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Put half the butter in an ovenproof lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and cauliflower, and toss to coat. Add stock cube and 1 cup of water, then cover and cook for 5 minutes to soften slightly.

Meanwhile, to make the pastry, melt remaining butter and combine with dill, zest, and egg yolk. Add torn filo sheets and roughly toss to coat in the mixture.

Once cauliflower has softened, push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add flour to cooking liquid and cook, stirring well to prevent sticking and to create a smooth roux, for 2-3 minutes or until slightly golden. Add cream slowly at first, then all at once. Incorporate with all the vegetables. Add frozen peas and flake in the fish, reserving the skin.

Stir to combine, then top the mixture with filo and use scissors to cut up the skin and add on top with the pastry. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and serve hot.

Photo: Sam Parish

Sam Parish is a Christchurch-based chef, writer and food stylist. Her food philosophy is ‘maximum of flavour, minimum of fuss’ (MOFMOF), which means she’s all about cooking smarter, not harder. She’ll be sharing delicious, fast, family-friendly food ideas every Wednesday (after road-testing them on her own whānau, of course). Sam’s first book, Cook Me is out now.