Mac ‘n’ cheese fish pie

Mac ‘n’ cheese fish pie

Is this the ultimate pasta bake? Wave goodbye to your traditional mac ‘n’ cheese with this fish pie hybrid; its packed full of comforting flavours and will leave you feeling full and satisfied, just as a pasta bake should.

Mac ‘n’ cheese fish pie

Looking for more macaroni recipes? Take a look at our dazzling macaroni cheese collection.

  • Serves icon Serves 6
  • Time icon Hands-on time 40 min, oven time 20 min

Is this the ultimate pasta bake? Wave goodbye to your traditional mac ‘n’ cheese with this fish pie hybrid; its packed full of comforting flavours and will leave you feeling full and satisfied, just as a pasta bake should.

Looking for more macaroni recipes? Take a look at our dazzling macaroni cheese collection.

Nutrition: For 6

Calories
655kcals
Fat
26.4g (14.8g saturated)
Protein
39g
Carbohydrates
60.7g (7.3g sugars)
Fibre
3.9g
Salt
1.3g

Ingredients

  • 400g macaroni pasta
  • 50g butter
  • Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ bunch fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ bunch fresh chives, chopped
  • ½ bunch fresh dill, chopped
  • 50g plain flour
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika, plus extra
  • 2 tbsp brandy, plus an extra splash
  • 750ml whole milk
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Tabasco
  • Juice ½ lemon
  • 125g comté or gruyère cheese, grated
  • 75g cheddar, grated
  • 225g sustainable large raw peeled prawns
  • 300g monkfish, filleted and cut into chunks (or use haddock)
  • 6 sustainable raw shell-on prawns (see tip)

You’ll also need…

  • 1.6-2 litre baking dish
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, then drain well and set aside. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
  2. Meanwhile make the sauce. Put the butter and oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and fry, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the herbs and stir into the oil. Remove a third of the herb mixture and set aside.
  3. Stir the flour into the pan with the remaining herb butter, then cook for 1-2 minutes until it smells toasty. Stir in the paprika and brandy, then cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk, little by little, until smooth.
  4. Turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened, then stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice and most of both grated cheeses. Taste and season – we like to add a splash more brandy (see Make Ahead).
  5. To assemble the fish pie, stir the 225g peeled prawns, monkfish and cooked pasta into the cheese sauce. Spoon into the baking dish, nestle in the 6 shell-on prawns, then top with the remaining grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling and the fish is cooked through. Top with the reserved herb butter and extra paprika to garnish.

Nutrition

Calories
655kcals
Fat
26.4g (14.8g saturated)
Protein
39g
Carbohydrates
60.7g (7.3g sugars)
Fibre
3.9g
Salt
1.3g

delicious. tips

  1. If you can’t get shell-on prawns, use sustainable peeled raw tiger prawns.

  2. Make the sauce to the end of step 4 up to 2 days ahead, cool and keep chilled, then gently reheat to assemble and cook.

  3. This needs a top New Zealand chardonnay or premium Rhône Valley white.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Fish pie recipes

Caper, lemon and dill fish pie with puff pastry top

Capers give the seafood filling of cod, smoked haddock and...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Nourishing winter recipes

Crumble-topped fish pie with soft-boiled eggs

Soft-boiled eggs make this fish pie recipe even more rich...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Fish pie recipes

Fish pie with sliced potato topping

We’ve made the traditional fish pie lighter by using a...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.