大象传媒

750g 'old ' potatoes such as King Edward
Salt and pepper
100g butter, plus extra knob
Approx. 100ml milk
3 eggs
1 onion
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
1 tsp chopped thyme
3 plump fresh herrings, filleted , but keep heads and tails
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500g firm white fish fillet such as huss, gurnard, haddock, or cod
150g flour, plus extra for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to 400oF/ 200oC/ gas mark 6. Peel and rinse the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and mash with a knob of butter and sufficient milk to make a firm mash. Boil 2 of the eggs for 10 minutes either in with the potatoes or in a separate, small pan. Crack all over and peel. Peel, halve and finely chop the onion. Fry in 25g butter for about 8 minutes until soft and lightly browned . Chop the bacon and add to the pan, together with the thyme. Cook until the bacon is fat and crisp. Scoop into a mixing bowl, leaving as much fat behind as possible. If you are lucky enough to have roes with your herrings, fry them whole for a couple of minutes a side then mix them with mashed potato. Tip the mash into a mixing bowl and add the parsley. Wash out the frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Chop the herring fillets into bite-size chunks (don't worry about the whiskery bones) and fry briefly in hot oil on both sides. Transfer to the mixing bowl. Now dice the white fish and fry in the same way. Chop the eggs and mix everything together. Transfer to a shallow dish. Cut the remaining butter into chunks and rub it into the flour. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, draw together with a knife or fork and form into a ball. Dust a work surface with flour and roll the pastry to make a lid for a pie. If liked, make slits and post the herring heads and tails, using leftover pastry to make little collars. Whisk the remaining egg and use it to paint the pastry. Bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Retired? Downsizing? Moving home to be nearer the kids?