This traditional British dish, which Bruno first ate at his onetime lover Pamela’s table, has become a fixture in many St. Denis households. Bruno tries to make enough so that leftovers can be formed into patties, rolled in breadcrumbs, and turned into fish cakes that he gently fries in oil and butter. But it’s a rare occasion when every last scrap isn’t devoured.
Serves 4
For the Filling
4 3/4 cups (38 fluid ounces / 1 liter) whole milk
2/3 cup (5 fluid ounces / 150 milliliters) white wine
1 bay leaf
2 pounds (1 kilogram) assorted fish fillets (such as white fish like cod or pollock, salmon, and smoked haddock if available), cut into 2-inch (5-centimeter) cubes
2 eggs
8 tablespoons (4 ounces / 100 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (4 ounces / 115 grams) flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 2 1/2 ounces (50 to 75 grams) peeled shrimp or prawns (optional)
2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained
Handful of roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon
For the Mashed Potato Topping
3 1/4 pounds (11/2 kilograms) potatoes, peeled, quartered, and boiled
8 tablespoons (4 ounces / 125 grams) aillou (see box) or unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Pour the milk and wine into a large pan, add the bay leaf, and bring the liquid slowly to a simmer over low heat to infuse. Once it begins to frizzle around the edge of the pan, slide the fish into the liquid and turn the heat off.
Boil the eggs until they’re hard, 6 to 8 minutes; set them aside to cool before peeling and quartering them.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour; cook it over low heat for 5 minutes, till it becomes sandy-textured and pale yellow.
With a slotted spoon, lift the fish into a baking dish; remove the bay leaf. Very slowly, and in small amounts, add the milk-and-wine liquid to the pan with the cooked flour, stirring continuously, to cook through and make a béchamel sauce. Season to taste.
Flake the fish into large chunks. Distribute the shrimp or prawns, if using, the capers, parsley, and quartered eggs on top of the fish. Squeeze the lemon juice over this, then pour the béchamel over everything. Shake the dish gently so the sauce can seep through.
Drain and mash the potatoes. Whip in the aillou or butter cut into cubes, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and spread the mixture over the fish in informal dollops. Bake until the topping is golden, 20 to 30 minutes.