Fishy Parcels with Cheat’s Lobster Sauce

These rich and delicious puff or filo pastry parcels bake beautifully in the AGA, crisping the pastry while keeping the fish tender. Serve with an easy ‘cheat’ lobster sauce. Many thanks to Naomi Hansell for this recipe.

Fishy Parcels with Cheat’s Lobster Sauce
  • 50g butter A large leek or 2 smaller ones, finely sliced
     
  • A 400g tin of lobster bisque (soup)
     
  • 1 lemon
     
  • 350g - 400g mixed fresh fish, include chunky white fish, some prawns, even some fresh lobster. (The frozen ones are useful and can be used in this recipe from frozen)
     
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     
  • A small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped, with a little reserved to garnish
     
  • 3 sheets of filo pastry or 300g puff pastry, the ready rolled is ideal here.
    If using the frozen oil pastry, any unused sheets can be refolded and refrozen.
     
  • 75g butter for melting if using filo pastry or an egg yolk mixed with a little milk if using puff pastry
     
  • A handful of chives (optional)
     

    Makes 6 suitable for a starter portion, or 4 larger parcels as a lunch or main dish.

Useful equipment: AGA sauce pot, AGA Portmeirion Baking Tray or AGA baking tray, lined.

1. If using filo pastry put 75g butter in a small bowl either on the back of the AGA or in the AGA Warming oven to melt to use for brushing the pastry.

2. Cook the leeks on a medium heat in a small pan with 50g butter until just softened. Add pinch of salt and stir well.

3. Pour in 130g (approx 1/3 of the tin) of the lobster bisque, a little at a time, stirring well between additions so that it becomes a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat, cool for a minute or two then fold in the prepared fish (fresh or frozen), the juice of half the lemon and the chopped dill.

4. To make filo parcels, unfold the filo, keeping the sheets in a pile. Cut the pile in half across the middle and arrange into a single pile. Take the first piece, brush both sides with melted butter and place a second piece on top. Brush this with the melted butter.

5. Place a large spoonful of the fish mixture (1/6th of the mixture) to just off the centre of the pastry and gather up the 3 narrow edges, then lifting the large edge all the way over the top of the parcel, pressing gently together and lightly shaping into a rectangle. Place the trimmed narrow pieces across the parcel in a cross - to look like ribbon on a parcel and brush with melted butter for filo or the egg and milk for puff pastry. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling to make 6 parcels in total.

6. Bake in the AGA roasting oven, on the 4th set of runners for 20 mins or until nicely browned. The fish will be just cooked and tender inside.

7. While the parcels are baking, make the sauce by heating the remaining lobster bisque on the AGA simmering plate, add the juice of the lemon and a little salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm while the parcels finish cooking.

Optional decoration: place the chives in a pan and cover with boiling water. Simmer for a few minutes and then place in cold water. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside. The blanching of the chives will makes them pliable to use as tied into bows and round the parcels.

Pour a little sauce on to the centre of each plate and place a fishy parcel on top. Garnish with a little fresh dill and serve warm.

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