Bob Hart's Fish Pie

Peel and quarter a smallish onion and stud each quarter with a clove, immerse them in 750ml full milk, add a bay leaf, 500g of white fish fillets (bream, hapuku or flathead are all good) and bring to a simmer. Cook for five minutes or so, dropping in 200g of cleaned, washed scallops for the last minute. Remove the fish, strain and reserve cooking liquid.

Skin the fillets and flake coarsely. Distribute, with the scallops, over the bottom of a deep, 30cm oval ovenware dish and top with 200g of peeled, cooked, smallish prawns. Slice four hard-boiled eggs into segments and add to the fish. Melt 50g butter in a pot, add 45g flour and cook, stirring, for a minute. Stir in reserved cooking liquid and, still stirring, simmer for 10 minutes to cook out flour. Add 5tbs chopped, flat-leaf parsley, a good grind of nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Pour sauce over fish. Allow to cool. (When available, I also add 6 fresh oysters just before pouring the sauce.)

Mash 1.25kg desiree potatoes with butter and a splash of warm milk until silky, season well, spread carefully over fish, keeping an irregular �peaked� surface.

Brush with a well-beaten egg and place in a 200� C oven for about 20 minutes or until pie is golden and contents begin to bubble at the edges. Serve with a decent white wine or a cold beer.