This is a different take on the classic fish pie, using cooked beans instead of potatoes for the topping. Beans cooked from scratch work best as they are often more tender and softer than the canned variety packing more flavour within them. Use my recipe for pot cooked beans and you can't go wrong (https://www.stelladrez.co.uk/post/pot-cooked-beans). If you are looking for a place to buy salted fish, Jollys of Orkney delivers throughout the UK (https://www.jollysoforkney.co.uk/collections/salt-fish).
Ingredients:
2 salt herring
Milk
50 g butter
2 tbsp plain or beremeal flour
1 can sweetcorn, drained
1 cup frozen peas
700g cooked beans, OR 2 cans of beans, drained of liquid, blednded into a pure
Method:
Start by slitting the belly of each herring and removing the innards. Cut each hering into 4 pieces, rincing out fully, then covering in water and leaving to soak overnight.
The next day, drain the water out and place the fish into a deep put on the stove. Cover with milk until almost fully submurged. Bring to the boil on high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off and leave to cook slightly. Remove the fish from the milk and remove all bones, shedding the meat as you go. Keep the milk. Set the cleaved and shredded flesh aside.
In another pan, melt the butter and add the flour, stiting until a smooth paste is formed. Use a ladle to add the milk the fish was cooked in a little at a time, stiring continuously. You are aiming for a white souce with the consistency of thick double cream. Add the fish, sweetcorn and peas to the sauce. Cook through until everything is pipping hot and the sauce has thickened further. Place the mixture in a baking dish and cover with the bean pure.
Bake for around 30 minutes at 20 degrees C until the beans develop a crispy top layer.
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