The below is extracted from The Tobermory Seafood Bible by Sally MacColl, illustrated by Bob Dewar, Birlinn, £4.99, out now
My dad was visibly shaken when I told him I was including this recipe. He liked to think of it as his personal Tobermory treat, but what the heck, a shared secret is the best kind.
Serves 4–6
4–6 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut in to 4
1 tbsp oil
½ white onion, finely diced
½ leek, chopped into rings
300ml dry white wine
200g (7oz) cream cheese
500g (1lb 2oz) crème fraîche
2 smoked haddock fillets, bones removed and chopped into chunks
200g (7oz) smokie rashers, trout or salmon, or fresh trout or salmon,
skinless and chopped into 8 chunks
8 large king prawns, raw, peeled and de-veined
2 large sprigs of dill without stalks, chopped roughly
2 tsp chives, chopped
Knob of butter
100ml (3fl oz) whole milk
Cracked black pepper (optional)
100g (4oz) cheddar, grated
Start by putting your potatoes on to boil in some salted water. Then sweat the onion and leeks in the oil in a deep pot. I like to use a Le Creuset type of cooking pot. When they have softened add a mug of white wine and leave to simmer until most of the wine has evaporated.
Now add the cream cheese and crème fraîche to the leek mixture and stir well, followed by your fish, dill and chives. Stir regularly so that it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan. When it is bubbling through you can spoon it into an oven-proof dish. Set this to one side.
Strain your potatoes when cooked and mash with a knob of butter and the milk until creamy and thick. Add some cracked black pepper for seasoning if you like.
Top the dish with the creamy mash. Add a spoonful at a time and fork roughly so it covers the whole pie.
Sprinkle over the cheddar. Put in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve with green beans and peas.
