Recipe Station

For starters, while some people prefer to buy their fish pre-smoked, we usually make the fillet ourselves. That's because it's cheaper, and that's always a good thing.

If you do choose to follow our DIY path, the first step is to partially cure the salmon. Fully curing the fish, a process that enhances the flavor and aids in preservation, can take several days if you're thorough. For this recipe, we just want to prime the outside layers of the fish for the smoking process, and infuse it with a little flavor at the same time; longer-term storage is not our concern. To do it, we cure the fish for between four and 12 hours in a rub of salt, sugar, mustard powder, and lemon zest. You'll notice that the process dramatically changes the color of the salmon, from its initial pink to a deeper red, even after just a few hours.

Once you're ready to smoke it, wipe most of the rub off the fish, but don't rinse it. You can use a smoker if you have one, but this process works just as well on a charcoal grill. All you need is a foil pan of water and soaked wood chips. Most types of wood work fine, but we avoid mesquite, which tends to overpower all the delicate flavors in the pie.

Cooking with smoke is a slower process than straight grilling, but we still want the inside of the fish to cook through to about medium, just enough to allow it to flake easily while still keeping it tender and juicy. We do that by cooking it to medium-rare—125°F (52°C) in the thickest part of the fillet—then wrapping it in foil and letting it stand for about 20 minutes. The residual heat will provide just enough carryover cooking to bring it up to medium. Once that's done, you can flake it into nice big chunks.

For a little extra texture, we like to mix some shrimp into the pie as well. Because shrimp cook quickly, you don't want to use small ones that will overcook and turn rubbery. Instead, opt for medium or large shrimp. If you find extra-large or jumbo, these will work well cut into slightly-larger-than-bite-size pieces. We take one extra step with the shrimp after cleaning them and before cutting them up: We briefly soak them in a brine of salt and baking soda. This takes only 15 minutes, but it does wonders to keep the shrimp moist and firm during cooking.

The filling of the pie is essentially a leek, parsley, and cream sauce that adds an oniony richness, but is mild enough to let the fish shine through. You could use actual onions, but we prefer leeks, as they deliver a milder oniony flavor that works better with the seafood.

There are also plenty of ways to make the crust, including using pastry or even just some nice hearty mashed potatoes. Yum!

Have you ever made fish pie? What do you think of these suggestions? What are some of our favorite tips? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Article Source: Serious Eats