Eating In

Serves about 10 people.

about 2½lbs white fish fillets
a similar amount of smoked haddock
1 litre of milk
2 Bay leaves
4 large eggs
about 4 oz butter
2 oz flour
12 oz prawns
a good bunch of parsley (flat leaf if you can get it).
5½ lbs old potatoes
2 oz parmesan cheese
6 anchovy fillets
Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC/gas mark 6. Cut the fish into pieces and simmer in 750ml of milk with the bay leaves for 10 to 15 minutes. At the same time boil the eggs for 10 minutes.  When the fish is almost cooked (if you are using fish like hake that is quick cooking, don’t overcook it) remove it to a plate to cool and strain the milk into a measuring jug. If it is less than 750ml, top it up. Melt half the butter and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the milk gradually. Keep stirring until it comes to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Peel the eggs. If you are using frozen prawns, defrost them in warm water, peel and remove the black veins. Grind the anchovy fillets in a pestle and mortar and add them with the prawns to the hot sauce, stirring as the prawns turn pink. Tip the prawn sauce into a mixing bowl. Chop the eggs coarsely and chop the parsley. Add these to the bowl. Remove the skin from the fish and add the fish to the bowl. Remove any bones you spot. Put this mixture into a large ovenproof dish and allow to cool.
While it is cooling peel and cook the potatoes in plenty of salt water. Mash them with the rest of the butter and milk to make a dense but fluffy mash. When the fish mixture is cool, spread the mash over it and rough up the surface with a fork. Grate the parmesan over it and bake in the oven until golden brown on top (30-40 minutes).