Creamy Monkfish and Shellfish Potpie

Ingredients:

675g monkfish fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
225g shelled prawns
225g scallop meats, halved crosswise into rounds
1 onion, minced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
250ml fish stock
440g tin of chopped tomatoes (with juice)
dash of Tabasco sauce (or other hot pepper sauce)
115g button mushrooms, quartered
500g boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
120ml double cream
3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
finely-chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion, celery and garlic and allow to sweat down gently over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Now add the fennel seeds, fish stock, Tabasco, mushrooms, potatoes, thyme and basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are only just tender.

Whisk together the cream and cornflour in a small bowl until smooth then stir this mixture into the potato and onion mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring briskly. Cook for 1 minute then add the monkfish, prawns and scallops. Season to taste then turn this mixture into a 3l oval baking dish.

Turn the thawed puff pastry onto a floured work surface and roll out until large enough to cover the surface of your baking dish. Brush the edges of the pastry with water then arrange over the top of your dish. Use the rolling pin to trim the edges of the pastry.

Cut a steam hole in the centre of the pastry and use any pastry scraps to decorate. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 18 minutes, or until the puff is nicely puffed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and divide the crust into 8 pieces. Arrange one piece of crust on each of eight heated dinner plates. Divide the pie mixture between the plates, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.