I first tasted this at the flagship dish of the chef's hast awarded Boathouse restaurant in Blackwattle Bay, Sydney. Truly decadent, the restaurant calls out on the menu that it takes 25 minutes to prepare as they bake it as ordered. An excellent way to make a snapper (or another firm white-fleshed and non-oily fish) a meal to remember. They serve it with mashed potato and smoked tomatoes. For me, it works best with a creamy chive mashed potato and a bottle or two of a crisp white wine.
Fish stock
Ingredients
- o 1kg bones of white-fleshed (non-oily) fish frames and prawn shells
o 30g butter
o 1 large onion, finely chopped
o Fennel trimmings (optional)
o 250ml (1 cup) dry white wineo
o 1 bay leaf
o 6 stalks flat-leaf parsley
o 10 black peppercorns
Method
- o Rinse fish bones and prawn shells. Remove gills from fish which can leave a bitter taste
o Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until soft
o Add fish bones and prawn shells, and stir until bones whiten
o Add wine and 2L (8 cups) water to the pan and bring to a simmer
o Reduce heat to low–medium and simmer gently for 20 minutes (don't boil or your stock will be cloudy)
o Strain through a fine sieve and cool
o Refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month
Boathouse snapper pie
Ingredients
Fish pie
- o 600g snapper, skinned, de-boned and cut into 4 cm pieces
o 2 tbs white truffle oil
o 1 onion, finely diced
o 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
o 1 egg, lightly beaten
Soubise sauce
- o 4 tbs olive oil
o 750g onions, thinly sliced
o 150ml fish stock
o 400ml thick or pouring cream
Method
Soubise sauce
- o Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan
o Add sliced onions and 1 tsp sea salt and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 30 mins or until onions are very sift and golden
o Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half
o Add cream and simmer until reduced by half, then remove from heat and cool.
Fish pie
- o Heat remaining oil in a small saucepan and cook finely chopped onion, stirring occasionally over medium heat for 10 mins or until soft.
o Process cream mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer sauce to a bowl. Stir in chopped onions and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
o Spoon 2-3 tbs of soubise sauce into the base of and ovenproof dish and add a layer of snapper pieces. Drizzle with truffle oil and repeat layers to fill the dish 2-3cm from top
o Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick, then cut out 3cm larger than ovenproof dish. Brush with lightly beaten egg and add a second layer of the same size
o Cover pies with pastry, pressing pastry to side of dish, then bake 220C for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed
o Stand pies for 5 mins before serving with mashed potatoes and smoked tomatoes
We roast some cherry tomatoes on the vine with olive oil & thyme to serve with it which I think is better than the cold smoked tomato the boathouse serve 
