Gordon Ramsay's F Word

Gordon Ramsay challenged a number of celebrities to cook their favourite dishes in series three of the F Word. Gordon would make a Ramsay version and the F Word diners would vote for their favourite. This recipe is Gordon's version of a posh fish pie originally made by James May.

Serves 4

For the pie

• 25g butter
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 250ml dry white wine
• 250ml Noilly Prat or dry Vermouth
• 500ml fish stock
• 500ml double cream
• 1-2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• Sea salt and pepper
• 800g mix of white fish fillets (such as sustainable or organically farmed cod, haddock, monkfish, coley)*
• 200g raw peeled king prawns
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Few sprigs of thyme
• Small handful of tarragon, flat leaf parsley and chervil leaves, chopped

For the topping

• 5 large Desiree potatoes
• Milk and butter, for mashing
• 2 large egg yolks

How to make posh fish pie

1. Heat the butter in a pan and sweat the shallots and fennel until soft. Add the wine and vermouth and reduce by half. Add the stock and bubble away again until reduced by half.

2. Pour in the cream and boil until reduced to a sauce like consistency. Strain through a sieve, discarding the shallot and fennel. Stir in the mustard, check for seasoning then leave to cool.

3. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Check the fish for any small bones, removing any with tweezers, then cut into 3cm chunks. Poach the fish in enough water to cover, with a squeeze of lemon juice and the thyme, until slightly undercooked. Remove the fish from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon. Gently fold the prawns and fish into the sauce with a little extra lemon juice and chopped herbs. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.

4. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, and mash with a little milk and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, then either pipe the mash over the filling or spoon it over for a more rustic finish.

5. Bake the pie for about 20 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve with buttered petit pois or spinach.

© Gordon Ramsay

* Salmon, cod and tuna are severely threatened by over-fishing. There are a number of sustainable and just as tasty species that work equally well in the above recipe - in some cases they can even be cheaper. See channel4.com/fish for more information.