You shall have a little fishy on a little dishy – and some black treacle sponge for afters, says Clare Latimer

WELL, I never thought I would get such a good response to my idea of a neighbourhood cooking club from last week. Many readers have called me to say they are going to start such a club. Here are two more recipes to add to you repertoire. Get cooking!

FISH PIE
This fish pie has got the lot so if there is something you do not like then just omit it and perhaps add something else that you do like. You can top it with mashed potato but I thought this would be a change and easier. Buy fresh fish if you are freezing the dish.

Serves six to eight
Ingredients
450g of smoked cod;
600ml milk;
One onion, peeled and finely chopped;
Five rashers of bacon, rind removed and chopped;
50g of butter;
50g of flour;
One red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped.
Juice of one lemon;
One teaspoon mustard;
Few drops Tabasco;
Large handful parsley, finely chopped;
125g cockles, out of shells;
125g mussels, out of shells;
125g prawns, shelled;
375g tin smoked oysters;
375g puff pastry;
For the glaze – One beaten with two tablespoons of milk.

Method
Put the cod in a saucepan with the milk, bring slowly to the boil, cover and simmer for five minutes.
Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the milk. Fry the onion with the bacon for five minutes or until soft but not brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour to make a roux and then gradually add the milk from the fish, stirring continuously, to make a smooth sauce. Add the onion, bacon, red pepper, lemon juice, mustard, all the shellfish and the cod and mix well.
Pour the mixture into eight individual dishes or foil containers.
Roll out the pastry and cut out tops for each pie. Trim and press down the edges of each pie with a sharp knife and then brush the surface with the egg and milk glaze.
When cool put into airtight bags and freeze.
To serve, thaw and preheat the oven to 200C 400F Gas 6.
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and well risen. Serve hot.

BLACK TREACLE SPONGE
I have a passion for black treacle and it is very under used but if you do not like it then replace it with golden syrup, which is sweeter in flavour.

Serves eight
Ingredients
25g of butter;
Four tablespoons of black treacle;
125g of self-raising flour;
50g of suet;
One teaspoon of powered ginger;
One teaspoon baking powder;
5 fl oz of milk;
One egg;
Two tablespoons of sugar;
Serve with a double cream.

Method
Butter eight little ramekin dishes and then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Pour in a little black treacle, using half the amount, in the base of each ramekin. Beat the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, cover with parchment paper and tie tightly with string or an elastic band. Put into a large saucepan or roasting tin, half-fill with water and place over the heat. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until cooked but still tacky on top.
Check the water level and top up as necessary. Leave to cool and then freeze in the dishes. Remove from the freezer for eating, leave to thaw slightly and then either reheat in microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat or reheat in water as before. Serve with lashings of whipped double cream!

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill
NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk