Yesterday morning, I woke up craving the Fisherman’s Pie that Tex ordered while we were in Ireland. He said, “Well, make it!” So I did. We both think the homemade version is as good, if not better, than the restaurant version that we tried a few weeks ago.
I looked and looked for a simple recipe, without the frills of white wine, but that included all the right seafood too. I couldn’t find one. So this recipe is my best effort at recreating the traditional dish. One of the greatest things about it is that it serves 6-8 people for about 20 Euro… And considering that this thing is chock-full of seafood, I’d say that’s a win!
INGREDIENTS
Seafood Filling:
Approx. 2 pounds Fish, boneless and skinless (I used about 1 pound of salmon and then equal parts shrimp and white fish, like cod or haddock)
½ large Onion, peeled and diced
4 Tbls. Butter
½ c. Flour
Milk
½ c. Cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potato Topping:
Approx. 10 small-medium Potatoes, peeled and cut
4 Tbls. Butter
½ c. Cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
WHAT TO DO
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. If fish is frozen, then defrost it first.
2) Place fish/shrimp and onion into a large saucepan, and pour in milk until fish is just covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and fish starts to look cooked. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Strain milk from the fish and onions, and save milk for sauce. Break up the fish into smaller, bite-size chunks and set aside.
3) In an empty saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the strained-off milk and stir well. If sauce begins to look too thick (what you want is a thick chowder consistency), then add more milk. Once the sauce is simmering, stir in the cheese. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4) Meanwhile, prepare the mashed potatoes. Place potatoes into large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until a fork easily pierces the potato. [Tip: Place a wooden spoon over the top of the pot to keep the water from boiling over.] Drain out the water. Add butter and cream, and mash the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
5) Combine the sauce with the fish and pour mixture into 9×13 pan. Thickly spread mashed potatoes over the top. (Extra potatoes may be eaten separately!). Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes.
We recently got back from the country I’ve long dreamed of—Ireland! It was the trip of a lifetime, even though we were only there for three and a half days. I am so thankful we had the opportunity to go and that the Lord provided beautiful sunshine-y weather while we were there. Here are the highlights… Actually every moment was a highlight… I’ll try my best to keep this concise.
My number one photo from the trip… Aren’t those cliffs amazing?
Day 1—Galway
We picked up a rental car from the Dublin airport, and Tex very promptly learned how to drive on the left side of the road in a right-side driver’s seat. Let me just say, he did amazing. I had envisioned it being very stressful, but it was not. Even Tex would agree. It takes a lot of concentration at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy (Note: I am speaking from my very extensive experience as a passenger seated on the left side).
Arriving a couple hours later in Galway, we made a beeline for food on Quay Street. We slid into The Quays Bar and Restaurant just in time to take advantage of their afternoon lunch menu. It is a quirky, rustic Irish pub and happened to be pretty quiet while we were there in the late afternoon. Tex ordered the roasted lamb plate, which came with a smorgasbord of yummy sides (including some very tasty sautéed greens). And I had the Irish seafood chowder with brown bread. This was when we first realized our love for Irish food!
The rest of the evening was spent browsing the sweater market nearby, grabbing (expensive) gelato further down the street, and strolling along the water’s edge. Galway is a cute and buzzing town.
Day 2—The Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Leaving our Airbnb fairly early in the morning, we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher around 8:30am. That was the best possible time to go, I think. We had the lush green cliffs to ourselves. It is hard for me to even know how to write about them, because they were one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen. Tall, windblown grass lay in wave-like patterns, rolling hills met with sheer-cut cliffs, and blue waves turned white as they beat the rocks far down below. There is a mortifying aspect too… Just knowing that one step too close to the edge could be your last. If you ever get the chance to go, please be careful, and please take me with you!
We drove over to the nearby town of Doolin for lunch at a pub, where we also got to experience watching a rugby game with the locals. After fattening up on Irish beef stew and fish and chips, we took the waitress’s advice and stopped by the Doolin Chocolate Shop. We spent the afternoon making a loop through the Burren and stopping at various places. The Burren is such an interesting region and not exactly what I expected to see in Ireland, though it is gorgeous. It’s basically massive rocks. Massive hills made of massive rocks. We stopped first in Kilfenora where we picked up a map and nosed through a beautiful cemetery of Celtic crosses. A little further down the road, we found Poulnabrone, an ancient portal tomb. It was similar to how I imagine Stonehenge, though it was just four rocks total and not very busy with people. We thought it was fairly impressive, especially given the fact that it was built about 5000 years ago! Our next stop was the Burren Perfumery. It was a cute little shop but honestly wasn’t a lot to see. Driving along the coast that evening, we made a couple more stops, including Dunguaire Castle and another cemetery in the shadow of a crumbling church, and then turned in for the night.
The cemetery at Kilfenora…And the ChurchThe rocky BurrenPoulnabrone portal tombAnother cemeteryDunguaire Castle at sunset
Ooh, and I forgot to mention that early in the morning we spotted a bright double rainbow just as the sun was rising. And then we actually drove THROUGH it! We had no idea that was possible and were just waiting to see a leprechaun jump out. Ha!
The Burren at sunrise
Day 3—Aran Islands
Though I might have thought that nothing could compete with the prior day’s experience, our day on the island of Inis Mór certainly gave the Cliffs of Moher a run for its money. We expected a day of rain, rain, and more rain. But the Lord surprised us with a gloriously sunny and almost warm day. We had one fierce, five-minute shower, and that was all.
Anywho, we took the morning ferry from Rossaveal out to the Aran Islands. We promptly rented bicycles and took off along the low coastal road. Inis Mór, the largest of the three islands, was larger and had more sites to see than I had expected. We didn’t have time to hit them all. The main attraction is the ancient, semicircular fort called Dún Aonghasa. Here’s why it is so impressive: 1) it was built around 1100 BC and is still intact, and 2) it was built directly on the edge of a 300 foot cliff. Tex was impressed by the “Chevaux de Frise,” which is a network of sharp stones placed around the fort as a defense. The views from within the innermost wall of the fort are breathtaking. I felt as if I were in another world. And we got to watch this rain cloud come straight toward us over the wild Atlantic waves. What a thought to imagine living there 3000 years ago, with the blustering wind and raging ocean and secure walls of stone and verdant grass all in one heart-stopping place.
Dun Aonghasa
This view from within the fort doesn’t do it justice.
After the fort, we decided to make a stop at the medieval ruins known as the Seven Churches. That was where we found the oldest gravestones I’ve ever laid eyes on—from the 800’s and 900’s AD. Crazy! From there, we started the long cycle up the high road. It was tough, but we found some horses to pet/laugh at along the way. We finished off our day on the island with some shopping for Aran sweaters and wool-knit goods. The ferry took us back to the mainland (if Ireland can be called that…?), and we made our way back into lively Galway for supper. Tex had an AMAZING dish called Fisherman’s Pie that was similar to Shepherd’s Pie but with a seafood chowder-like filling. I had a hamburger that supposedly contained black pudding.
The Seven Churches and cemeteryWe made friends with this sweet horse.And this guy had somehow gotten up ONTO the fence and was just hanging out!
Day 4—A Bit O’ Dublin
To wrap up our time in Ireland, we wanted to get a taste of the capital city. While we did enjoy it, I am so very glad that we chose to spend most of our time near Galway instead. Dublin has some lovely churches, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. But we didn’t feel like paying the money to go in, so we enjoyed the architecture for a moment and moved on. We grabbed a bite at the South African food chain Nando’s and moseyed on down to Trinity College. It would be cool to go back there and see the Book of Kells. But that’s really the only thing I feel like we missed.
Christ Church Cathedral
All in all, this is a trip I would take again in a heartbeat. The outdoor wonders were more stunning than I ever dreamed. God did a mighty work when he created that country.
Hearth & Yonder 