Fish Pie with Mashed Potatoes and Hot Sauce (Jamaican)

Fish pie is a traditional English dish of creamy baked fish and eggs, often topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. The basic recipe was adopted and revised by Jamaicans, who gave it the tropical twist of coconut and the fiery punch of hot pepper sauce.

1 lb firm white fish filets, such as cod, haddock, hake, pollock or snapper
2 or 3 eggs, beaten
½ cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp. Pickapeppa Sauce or other bottled hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Poach the fish in a little salted water until just cooked through. Remove, set aside to cool and then flake into small chunks.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, coconut milk, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in the flaked fish and breadcrumbs and pour into a greased cake pan or oven-proof skillet.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until set and browned on top.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Variations:

• With a Mashed Potato Topping: Use leftover mashed potatoes or make them fresh for the dish. Let the fish filling cool, then top the filling with the mashed potatoes and spread them out evenly. Make decorative impressions in the potatoes with the tines of a fork, if you like. Bake according to the direction above until the filling is cooked through and the potatoes are lightly browned.
• Any firm white fish works well in this dish. Snapper is a good choice. Add some chopped, poached shrimp if you like.
• Add a cup of fresh peas, some minced onion, 1 Tbsp. of capers or a big pinch of allspice if you like.