Making the Ultimate Admiral's Pie

Making the Ultimate Admiral’s Pie

Presenter / References

• Presenter: Adam (referenced in the video).
• Product referenced: Young’s Admiral’s Pie (for comparison).
• Recipe referenced on-channel: Kitchen Basics mashed potato (link mentioned in the video).

Ingredients

• Haddock fillets — skin removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (quantity not specified).
• Pre-cooked prawns — opened; added with the haddock (quantity not specified).
• Spring onions — about 3, cleaned and finely chopped.
• Mashed potato — cold and stiff (homemade preferred; packet instant acceptable as a shortcut).
• Butter and plain flour — equal quantities for the roux (presenter uses ~50 g butter + 50 g flour).
• Milk — added to make a thick white sauce (amount adjusted to reach desired consistency).
• Extra butter — a knob or two to enrich the sauce.
• Wholegrain mustard — about 1 teaspoon.
• Salt and black pepper — to taste (use salt carefully if using salted butter).
• Fresh herbs: parsley (a handful), tarragon (8–10 leaves), and a small amount of dill.
• Lemon — zest of ~½ lemon + juice (start with ~¼ lemon’s juice, then adjust).
• Frozen peas (for sweetness and bulk); sweetcorn optional.
• Mature cheddar — grated generously for the top.

Substitutions & Variations (overview)

• Fish: mix two types (e.g., salmon, smoked haddock, scallops, king prawns) for a premium version.
• Budget fish: pollock or basa.
• Vegetables: peas or sweetcorn (or both).
• Dried herbs may be used sparingly (tarragon is punchy).
• Mashed potato: packet instant is fine if it’s chilled until stiff.

Equipment & Prep

• Heavy pan for the white/milk-based sauce.
• Knife and chopping board.
• Grater for lemon zest and cheese.
• Ladle for filling the pie dish.
• Pie dish or ovenproof dish; baking tray with a square of foil under the dish to catch spills.
• Fork (to spread mash) or a piping bag (optional for piped mash).
• Oven: preheat to 180°C fan (200°C conventional).
• Allow filling to cool to room temperature before topping.

Method

1. Prep fish and aromatics

   • Remove haddock skin (won’t crisp in the pie) and cut into small bite-sized chunks.
   • Open pre-cooked prawns.
   • Trim and rinse ~3 spring onions, remove any stringy outer layer, and chop finely.
   • Chop herbs: a handful of parsley, ~8–10 tarragon leaves, and a little dill — chop finely.

2. Make mashed potato ahead

   • Prepare mash in advance and chill until cold and stiff (presenter references his Kitchen Basics mash recipe).

3. Make the sauce (a richer béchamel)

   • On moderate heat, combine equal quantities of butter and plain flour (about 50 g each) and cook into a paste. Cook until the texture is sandy and the raw flour taste is gone.
   • Add milk gradually in small splashes, whisking between additions to avoid lumps. Aim for a very thick sauce (around the thickness of extra-thick double cream).
   • Add a knob or two of butter to enrich the sauce and whisk to combine.
   • Stir in ~1 tsp wholegrain mustard, black pepper, and salt carefully (taste as you go).
   • Add the chopped spring onions and chopped herbs, then turn the heat off.

4. Finish the sauce with lemon and veg

   • Off the heat, add lemon zest (~½ lemon) and start with ~¼ lemon juice; adjust to taste. (Add juice off the heat to avoid curdling.)
   • Stir in frozen peas (and/or sweetcorn) for sweetness and bulk.

5. Combine fish and sauce

   • Off the heat, gently fold the haddock pieces and pre-cooked prawns into the sauce so the fish stays in chunks.
   • Ladle the filling into a pie dish (extra filling can be cooled and frozen).
   • Allow the filling to cool to room temperature before topping with mash — this prevents the mash sinking and the pie becoming gloopy.

6. Assemble and bake

   • Preheat oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional).
   • Dot cold, stiff mashed potato on top of the cooled filling in dollops and use a fork to rough up the surface (piping is optional).
   • Generously grate mature cheddar over the mash. Place the pie dish on a baking tray and put a square of foil under the dish to catch any spillage.
   • Bake for 20–30 minutes until the cheese is melted, the top is golden, and the filling is bubbling (presenter used ~25 minutes).
   • Let the pie rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Key: cool the filling to room temperature before topping. Hot filling causes the mash to sink and the pie to become gloopy.

Chef Tips, Technique Notes & Common Mistakes

• Remove haddock skin because it won’t crisp in the pie.
• Cut fish into small pieces to stretch the filling and mimic the classic texture.
• Use spring onions for an “oniony” note without cooking down whole onions.
• Cook the roux long enough to remove raw flour taste — otherwise the sauce will be chalky.
• Add milk gradually and whisk to prevent lumps (hot milk isn’t mandatory if you add slowly).
• Make the sauce deliberately thick — fish releases juices during baking that will thin it.
• Add lemon juice off the heat to avoid curdling.
• Be sparing with tarragon — it’s strong.
• Put foil under the dish on the tray to catch bubbling over.
• Let the finished pie rest ~5 minutes before portioning.

Plating & Serving

• Serve in wedges or portions straight from the pie dish after the 5-minute rest.
• Presenter serves as a lunch portion; no special garnishes are mentioned.

Variations (concise)

• Premium: haddock + salmon, smoked haddock, scallops, king prawns.
• Budget: pollock or basa fillets.
• Veg: sweetcorn instead of or alongside peas.
• Leftovers: extra filling can be cooled and frozen for later.

Notes

• Many quantities are qualitative; taste and adjust lemon, salt, and seasoning as you go.
• The presenter emphasizes tasting as you go and adjusting to personal preference.

Sources / References

• Young’s Admiral’s Pie (store-bought comparison).
• Presenter’s Kitchen Basics mashed potato recipe (link mentioned on-screen).