Winter smoked fish filo pie

ingredients

• • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 1 bulb fennel, trimmed, quartered and sliced
  • 2 medium onions, peeled, halved and sliced
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 3/4 cup blue top milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan or tasty cheese (approx 50g)
  • 400 gram smoked fish, deboned and flaked
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 375 gram filo pastry
  • 3 tablespoon butter, extra, melted
  • 300 gram fresh fish, cut into small cubes
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds to garnish

method

• • 1

    Heat a deep pan over a medium heat. Drizzle in half the oil and add the celery and fennel. Cover the pan and fry for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining oil and onions, cover and cook for a further 3 minutes. Place the vegetables on a plate and set them aside to cool.

  • 2

    In the same pan, melt the butter, add the flour and lightly fry it for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf then add the milk in 4 portions, stirring after each addition, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cheese until it has melted.

  • 3

    Add the smoked fish and chives. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Place the vegetables in a bowl, removing any liquid. Pour over the fish sauce and stir to mix together. Remove the bay leaf. Cover and set the filling aside to cool.

  • 4

    Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the filo pastry sheets on a large board and cover them with a clean, damp tea towel. Spray a 25cm pie dish with oil. Brush 1 sheet of filo lightly with the melted butter and cover it with another. Line the pie dish with the double layer of pastry, then make 4 more double layers until you have 10 layers of filo in the base of the pie dish.

  • 5

    Add the diced raw fish to the filling and mix it to combine. Place the filling on top of the pastry base and fold the edges of the pastry into the middle of pie. Brush the pastry at the edges of the dish with a little butter.

  • 6

    To make the pie top, make another double layer of pastry. As this is rectangular, fold the pastry under itself into a rough circle shape as you put it on top of the pie. Repeat 4 more times until you have 10 layers in total for the pie top. Press the top layer down well to seal. Brush the remaining butter evenly over the pie until it is well covered. Sprinkle over the poppy seeds. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden.