Description
A creamy seafood pot pie with tinned salt cod, leeks and potatoes under a golden puff pastry crust. Everything but the pastry is finished on the stovetop, so the oven just bakes the crust.
Ingredients
- 2 tins bacalhau (salt cod) (about 7 to 8 oz drained), drained, with 3 tablespoon of the oil and juices reserved
- 1 cup Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 large)
- 1 1/4 cups leeks, halved, sliced and rinsed well
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, grated (3 if your tins are packed with garlic)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Zest of 1 lemon
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced
- A generous 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp coarse kosher salt, to taste, added at the end
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F convection, or 425°F conventional, and let it come fully up to temperature before anything goes in.
- Lightly roll the puff pastry and cut it into 12 squares. Brush the tops with beaten egg while they’re still lying flat on the parchment, then refrigerate until needed.
- Warm the 3 tablespoons reserved tin oil and juices in a shallow oven-safe skillet, about 8 inches across and 4 cups capacity, over medium heat.
- Add the potatoes and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the leeks and thyme and cook about 6 minutes, until the leeks are soft and sweet.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.
- Pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the bottom doesn’t stick, until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are completely tender. Taste a piece of potato, since the oven won’t soften them further. Stop while the sauce still looks a little looser than you’d want to eat, because it tightens in the oven.
- Off the heat, stir in the Dijon, lemon zest, nutmeg, chives and pepper. Gently fold in the bacalhau and peas. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, taste, and add a bit more if it needs it.
- The filling should sit about 1/4 inch below the rim. Lay the cold pastry squares over the filling, overlapping slightly and draping over the rim. Bake about 20 minutes, rotating the skillet if needed for even browning, until the pastry is deep golden and visibly puffed.
- Ovens vary, so watch yours: a conventional oven may need a few minutes more. Rest 10 minutes before serving
Notes
No oven-safe skillet? Make the filling in any skillet, then transfer it to a small baking dish (about 4 cups) and top with the pastry.
Mind the rim. Fill to about 1/4 inch below the rim. A filling at the edge can boil over and soak the pastry from underneath.
Preheat fully, and rotate. Puff pastry needs a hot oven to rise. Rotate the skillet once during baking for even browning, since ovens vary.
Fish swaps. Hake, haddock, pollock or any firm white fish, tinned or pre-cooked. They’re milder, hold together in larger flakes and bring less salt, so fold carefully and expect to season up. To start from raw fish, cut it into 2-inch pieces and add it with the peas.
Make ahead. The filling keeps a day in the fridge. Let it sit out long enough to take the chill off before topping and baking, or add a few minutes to the bake.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Portuguese