Smoked Salmon and Fennel Pie

Try this tasty Smoked Salmon and Fennel Pie, a perfect dish for sharing.

SERVES: 4-6

SAUCE

• 75g butter
• ½ tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp mustard
• pinch of salt
• pepper
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• splash of oil
• 1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
• 1 onion, finely diced

PIE

• 6 hardboiled and peeled eggs
• 500g smoked salmon ‒ or any smoked fish
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cream, for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-bake.
2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the curry powder and fennel seeds and fry off for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the flour and cook off for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, bit by bit. Reduce the heat to low and cook until thickened, whisking occasionally. Once thick, remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, salt, pepper, and spinach. Allow to cooldown slightly as you prepare the rest of the components.
3. Add oil to a large pan and fry off the fennel and onion with salt and pepper. Combine the sauce with the fried fennel and onion.
4. To make the pie, chop the eggs in half. In a dish at least 2.5cm deep, flake the smoked salmon and lay down the halved eggs on top. Pour over the sauce. Lay the pastry over the top and crimp with a fork. Cut a hole in the pastry and decorate as wished. Brush with egg wash and season with salt.
5. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until golden and the pastry is cooked.
6. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then serve.

RECIPES FROM ALICE IN CAKELAND, BY ALICE TAYLOR, PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOTTIE HEDLEY AND MELANIE JENKINS/FLASH STUDIOS (ALLEN & UNWIN NZ RRP$45).