Fish pie from Ben Hoggett of New Wave Fish Shop in Cirencester

UNLESS you’re a pumpkin pedlar or last year’s conker champion or some such like, most of us would like to see a bit more summer. But the seasons change and so do our diets - and with that in mind here is the recipe for our popular fish pie if you fancy making it yourself.

Ingredients (serves 4) Cod, hake, or pollack  fillet -200g skinned and cut to one inch dice Smoked haddock 200g as above  (naturally smoked would be preferable)  Salmon fillet 200g  as above For the sauce: Fish stock 800 ml simmered/reduced to 200ml Double cream 220ml  A kitchen spoon of chopped parsley and chives 2 large leeks (white part only)washed and sliced Peas  80g (frozen is fine) For the topping: Mashing potatoes 1kg (washed, peeled, cooked and dry mashed) Whole milk 50ml Unsalted butter 50g To make the sauce, in a heavy based pan simmer your reduced stock and double cream together until its the consistency of cold pouring cream, correct the seasoning and stir in your herbs.

Season with salt and pepper and sweat the leeks in 25 grams of butter until completely tender.

Mix the fish, peas, leeks and cream sauce and put in an appropriate ovenproof dish. Chill till it’s set (it makes it easier to put the mash on if the fish mix is cold).

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Warm the milk and remaining butter and incorporate into the mashed potato and mix until smooth.

If you have a piping bag use it to pipe your mash on top of the fish mixture use a fluted nozzle if you like, make sure not to leave any gaps. If you don’t have a piping bag use a spatula or palette knife to apply the mash and ruff up with a fork.

Bake for 35 mins, check the temperature by holding a small knife to the middle of the pie for 10 seconds and if it’s nice and hot it’s ready, if not return to the oven for enough time to make the pie hot to the very centre.  Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.