Celebration Smoked Fish and Haddock Puff Pastry Pie

Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature while making the pie filling

Pour the milk into a large pan and add the bay leaf, sliced onion, peppercorns and a pinch of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring up to a simmer

Place the haddock in the milk and lightly poach for 5 minutes, then add the prawns for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and remove the haddock and prawns to a plate and set aside. Allow the milk to cool and infuse for 10 minutes then strain through a sieve into a jug

Meanwhile, in a separate pan wilt the washed spinach leaves over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes then set aside

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6

Using the original poaching pan, place back over a medium heat and melt the butter. When it starts to bubble remove from the heat and stir in the plain flour to create a roux

Once thickened and smooth, place back over the heat and continue to stir for a few minutes to cook out the flour. Gradually add the infused milk, stirring continuously to create a rich white sauce

When all the milk is added, remove from the heat and flake in the haddock, then the hot-smoked salmon. Add in the prawns and wilted spinach then finish by stirring in the cream and a good grating of fresh nutmeg

Pour the whole mixture into a shallow pie dish, making sure that the fish and spinach are evenly distributed

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface so that it is large enough to cover the dish. Lay over the top of the filling and gently press down the edges to seal, then trim off the excess pastry

Gather up the excess trimmings into a ball and re-roll to create a flat sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut out a fish shape (as large as you can) and place on top of the lid, decorating if liked (it always looks good when the fish is smiling in my opinion!)

Brush the whole pastry lid with the beaten egg to glaze and bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the pastry has puffed up and is golden on top and the filling is bubbling underneath