food Fish pie with souffl crouton topping Prepare ahead The filling can be made up to eight hours ahead. Prepare the souffl topping, assemble the dish and cook within an hour. serves 6 For the filling 50g butter, plus extra for greasing 1 leek, diced 50g plain flour 600ml (1 pint) hot milk 2 tbsp chopped dill 2 tbsp lemon juice 350g fresh haddock fillet, skinned and cut into even-sized cubes 350g undyed smoked haddock fillet, skinned and cut into even-sized cubes 3 hard-boiled eggs, each cut into either 4 or 8 wedges salt and freshly ground black pepper For the topping 1 small (400g) loaf of white bread (2-3 days old) 50g full-fat, soft cheese 75g butter 75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated 1 large egg white method 1 You will need a shallow 1.5-litre (2-pint) ovenproof dish, approximately 30 x 20 x 6cm (12 x 8 x 2in). 2 To make the filling for the pie, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leek and gently soften over a low heat for 34 minutes until completely tender but not browned. Sprinkle in the flour and stir over a high heat for a minute. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking over a high heat, until the sauce is smooth and thickened and has come to the boil. 3 Remove from the heat and add the chopped dill, lemon juice and cubes of fish. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then remove from the hob and spoon into the ovenproof dish. Arrange the eggs on top of the sauce and press in gently. Level the top with the back of your spoon and set aside to cool. When cold, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for about an hour, or until firm. 4 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and grease the dish with a little melted butter. 5 To make the souffl topping, remove the crusts from the loaf and cut it into five slices, each about 1.5cm thick, and then into cubes; you will need to weigh out about 150g of these croutons. Measure the cream cheese, butter and Cheddar into a saucepan and melt together over a low heat until runny. (The mixture may look curdled, but dont worry!) Remove from the heat and set the pan aside for a moment. 6 In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold into the cheese mixture in the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and carefully stir together, then stir in the croutons so they are fully coated in the mixture. Spoon on top of the fish filling so that the croutons form a single layer. 7 Bake in the oven for 2530 minutes until golden and bubbling. If the dish starts getting too brown during cooking, simply cover with foil. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving with a salad or green vegetable. If the sauce is a little thick due to overboiling, add a touch more milk to thin it down.