Irish Fish Pie

|Fish pie is usually topped with a puree of white potatoes but swap white potatoes for orange squash or sweet potatoes and it turns out that the mild brininess of the fish is fantastic with the slightly sweet topping. Feel free to substitute salmon or a mild white-fleshed fish for the cod and shucked clams for the scallops.|butternut squash squash|700 g orange-fleshed squash or sweet potatoes250 g fresh cod250 g large shrimp250 g bay scallops85 g unsalted butter at room temperature1 small onion finely chopped2 cups whole milk2 bay leaves2 fresh thyme sprigsKosher or fine sea saltFreshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons all-purpose flour35 g chopped fresh chives|Peel the squash or sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Put them in a large saucepan and add cool water to cover by 1 inch. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the squash / sweet potatoes are fully tender about 15 minutes. Drain the squash / sweet potatoes reserving the cooking liquid.Mash the squash / sweet potatoes with the back of a fork or a potato masher. They will collapse into a relatively smooth mass that should not require additional liquid to remain moist. Set aside 280 g of puree for the fish pie; reserve the rest for another use.Preheat the oven to 190° C. Cut the cod into 1-inch pieces. Peel and devein the shrimp. Pick over the scallops for bits of shell and if there is a tough band of muscle adhered to one side of each scallop remove it. Refrigerate the seafood until ready to use.Melt 28 g of the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring until translucent and soft about 5 minutes. Pour the milk into the pan and add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer stirring often. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the milk.Poach each type of seafood individually: Place the cod in the simmering milk and cook until the fish is nearly cooked through 1 to 2 minutes. Lift the cod from the milk with a slotted spoon and place it in a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish. Add the scallops to the milk and poach until opaque about 30 seconds. Lift from the milk with a slotted spoon and add to the dish with the fish. Add the shrimp and poach until they just begin to curl about 1 minute. Lift them from the milk with a slotted spoon and add them to the dish. Use your hands or a fork to flake the cod into bite-size pieces. Season the fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.In a small bowl mash 28 g of the butter with the flour. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the milk. Bring the milk to a simmer once again and whisk the butter mixture into the milk until no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to low and simmer stirring until the mixture thickens about 5 minutes.Pour the béchamel over the fish in the casserole dish. Add the chives and fold gently to combine everything. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning with salt or black pepper if needed.Reheat the squash / sweet potato puree in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds or in a pot stirring constantly until warm. Stir the remaining 28 g butter into the sweet potatoes until it melts and season lightly with salt. If desired transfer the warm puree to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe or spread the puree over the filling sealing the edges.Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is browned about 20 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.|45.00 minutes|6|Food & Wine