Winter is fast descending upon us Down Under and as much as I love the cold weather, I find what makes winter special is the food that comes out from our kitchen.
Having a toasty oven baking away is a good way to warm up your home but nobody would deny the aromas of a hearty stew or perhaps a Sunday leg lamb roast would whet the appetite and make dinner all the more enticing.
Snapper pie recipe from Taste.com.au
Ever since we sampled the signature snapper pie at Sydney’s iconic restaurant Boathouse on Black Wattle Bay in Glebe, Mysaucepan has been wanting to replicate this dish at home.
What has made this Sydney snapper pie the talk of the town is the aromas of truffle when the pie is cut opened and served by wait staff at your table.
Pairing it with the smoothest and creamiest of mashed potato and a smoked and skinned half of a tomato has made this dish truly unforgettable and a real winner.
Sydney has been hit by a cold spell in the past few days and a lazy Sunday afternoon has got Mysaucepan contemplating this pie again.
White truffle oil
A fish pie is not my preferred favourite as I would prefer a hearty beef or lamb shank stew in winter.
However, I will gladly make an exception for a fish pie if it is cooked in the tradition of THE snapper pie at Boathouse.
The aromas of truffle can be beautifully intoxicating in the right amounts and I find myself inhaling the rich and earthy aromas of white truffle oil. Truly, I would suggest you don’t even think about cooking this recipe without this little bottle of magic potion.
We look up a few fish pie recipes online but decide to come up with our own although we are referring to other recipes as a guide. One key ingredient that we decide to add on is fennel which comes into season around autumn and continues throughout winter.
I love fennel for its aniseed flavour and when thinly sliced and paired with orange, it becomes a classic and wonderful salad.
Key ingredients - ling fillets, button mushrooms, leek, fennel, thyme, onions, truffle oil and pastry
Instead of snapper, we decide to use ling fish fillets which is one of my favourite white fish meats apart from perch, monk fish or hapuka.
As much as I love salmon and ocean trout, I personally prefer fish pie to be a chunky white fish rather than a flaky texture.
Thyme and sliced white mushrooms
The flavours of thyme work wonderfully in this recipe because it complement the flavours of the truffle oil so well.
Sautee fennel, leek and onions with butter and extra virgin olive oil
Mysaucepan starts by sweating the thinly sliced leek, onion and fennel in a large wok with some butter and extra virgin olive oil until the vegetables are fragrant and transluscent.
Add light cream, dry white wine and thyme
Then, turn the heat down to low and pour in light cream, white wine and stir in a few teaspoons of corn flour.
Most recipes use heavy cream but we prefer light cream because it is healthier and the corn flour is a good way to adjust and thicken up the mixture to the level that you prefer.
Ling fillets, button mushrooms and fennel fronds
The ling fillets and mushrooms are delicate ingredients and do not require as much cooking time and only needs to be baked in the oven. The fennel fronds have wonderful aniseed aromas and add a little colour to the pie.
Ladle sauteed leek, fennel and onions over fish and add freshly cracked black pepper
Once the leek, fennel and onion mixture is cooled, ladle it over the ling and mushroom to a level that covers the fish completely and sprinkle some salt and black pepper to season.
Drizzle a few drops of white truffle oil
And here comes the magic potion – drizzle a couple of teaspoons of the white truffle oil into the baking bowls before covering them with puff pastry brushed with egg wash.
Then bake the pies in a 200 degree Celsius oven for approximately thirty minutes until the pastry turns golden brown.
Ling fish pies hot off the oven
The aromas of pastry and truffle is tempting enough let alone tasting this wonderful fish pie.
So here is our recipe for Truffle flavoured Ling Fish Pie.
Truffle flavoured Ling Fish Pie
Truffled Ling Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
- 1 leek, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and reserve the fennel fronds
- 10 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Half cup of peas (optional)
- 800 gm – 1 kg of ling fillet or (chunky white flesh fish of your choice) cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 – 4 teaspoons of white truffle oil
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash to brush onto pastry
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup of lite cream
- 2 small knobs of butter
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- Half cup water
- Corn flour to thicken mixture to your preference
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Sautee onion, leek and fennel in a large cooking pan on medium heat with butter and 4 tablespoon of EVOO until it is fragrant and transluscent.
- Turn down the heat and pour in lite cream, white wine and add the thyme to the mixture.
- If the mixture is too thick or insufficient, add a little water. Add 1 – 2 teaspoon of corn flour, stirring continuously to thicken the sauce to your liking.
- Arrange the fish fillets, button mushrooms and fennel frond in baking bowls.
- When the onion, leek and fennel mixture is cooled slightly, ladle this mixture into the baking bowls until they cover the fish fillets completely.
- Cover the baking bowls with puff pastry and brush the pastry with the egg wash.
- Place the pies in a hot oven at 200 degrees Celsius and bake until the pastry is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
- This fish pie is predicated on the distinctive aromas of truffles. If you dislike truffle flavours, you may omit the truffle oil.
- Use chunky white flesh fish over flaky fish textures such as salmon.
- Do not overcook the onion, leek and fennel as they still need to go into the oven. The vegetables just need to be slightly soft before turning down the heat.
- Gradually add the corn flour to a slightly cooled mixture and kepp stirring to get to your preferred thickness of the sauce.
- The truffle oil can be quite intense so use it sparingly. If insufficient, you can always add a few more drops of the truffle oil to the sauce after the pies are baked.
Serves: Approximately 4 large size pies.
The soft chunky fish meat is delicious with the creamy sauce. Although peas are optional, they add a bit of “hominess” and retro feel to this pie.
Winter comfort - crispy pastry with creamy ling fillets and truffle aromas
Of course, the unmistakable flavours of truffle oil makes this pie distinctively different and better than the average fish pie.
Truffled Ling Fish Pie
Pair this truffle flavoured ling fish pie with a chilled and oaky chardonnay, why would anyone not enjoy winter would be beyond me.
So dear readers, what is your favourite winter dish and why?
I love fish pie – any seafood really! I would never have thought to pair truffles with fish though so now I am intrigued! I really ought to go to Boathouse too… for research purposes.
What a wonderfully decadent fish pie
looks amazing
We have the same taste for white fish, I love ling fish as well, that pie looks awesome
I love that fish pie. It’s just perfect for winter! 😀
WOW dude… This is just all kinds of awesome. It’s been a while since I used my truffle oil so now I can’t wait to with this recipe. And hapuka is one of my favourite white fishes too! So delicate and delicious. I haven’t tried perch or monk but will definitely look out for em too. Thanks for this recipe will def try it when I get back =)
I must admit that I have *no idea* of truffle taste because I’ve never eaten truffles! I know (and like) other mushrooms, but from their appreciation in high-end cooking, I imagine that truffles are really special. The rest of the ingredients sound familiar, though, and I can imagine that dish was really good!
It also looks like the perfect winter dish for me. I think of fennel as a typical winter vegetable (although a blogging friend recently wrote she associates it with spring). I like hot soups and stews in winter. And venison pot roasts, those remind me of Christmas.
Just gorgeous! You are making me hungry! I grew up eating ling fish in my mother’s fish porridge, but haven’t been able to find any local ling? Are you buying the ones imported from NZ?
Dear Celia,
You are right, the ling at fish markets are mostly from New Zealand.
What a beautiful looking pie. I love the image where you have lifted off the lid to show us what’s underneath – very enticing! And you are right about the weather. It’s not my favourite, that’s for sure but it certainly lends itself to some comfort cooking like this pie! xx
Have you ever tried truffle oil drizzled on fresh-popped popcorn? Oh my, it’s addicting! 😉
Dear Carolyn,
Sounds delicious and my sister told me today about caramel drizzled on fresh popcorn is equally addictive!
One pie that I realized I haven’t eaten is Fish Pie. I didn’t even know such thing existed! I will definitely make this and can’t wait!!!
I enjoyed the other magic potion you put into this dish, too… anticipation! Never had a fish pie before, but one of my favorite wintertime treats is homemade chicken pot pie. You’re right, the aromas and warmth from the oven make for a cozy winter evening!
I have never had a fish pie (or any “covered” pie really). This one looks fabulous and I can imagine how appetising the truffle oil makes it. It’s very interesting because I have just looked up on internet and I have never seen ling fish (not to mention eating it). I am a big fan of monkfish though.
That wonderful earthy fragrance of truffle is amazing isn’t it? Your fish pie looks lovely, really rich with leeks and mushrooms and of course the irresistible elixir. GG
The first time we had fish pie, we literally fainted with pleasure. I have been looking for a great fish pie recipe since. This looks perfect, and fits the bill. Thanks so much! So glad I found your blog, it’s musical
That does look pretty amazing! I can almost smell the fragrant truffle oil from here!
This looks absolutely delicious! I don’t think I will wait until it is winter here to try it. No ling fish, but I could try to substitute a local white fish- and I need a new bottle of truffle oil. Thanks for the recipe, Chopinand!
Dear Chopinand, I would like two fish pies delivered to my doorstep tomorrow evening, pronto, please. Grazie.