Sailor’s pie

It is time to add some nice milchig recipes for Shavuot. The following is mashed potatoes with a topping of tuna fish and sour cream au gratin. You might wonder a) about the name and b) about the combination of mashed potatoes and fish.

Well, the name……I saw something resembling this recipe in a cookbook years ago and as I usually only consult the pictures and not the recipe I just concocted something that resembled the picture. Since then the recipe has somehow evolved and is now one of my husbands favorites. I have therefore no idea whether it really is some variety of a sailor’s pie, but the name stuck. Lets keep it that way

About mashed potatoes and fish. Yes, first I was a little bit hesitant, too, but by now this dish has won the hearts and stomachs of quite a few people…..I’m therefore quite sure you will come to find that it matches just perfect.

The feasibility of this recipe depends on whether you have the custom to cook fish and milk products together. If not you can substitute the fish chunks with some diced carrots or some other vegetable you like. At the end you will find some more hints for a completely pareve variation.

The mashed potatoes:

Prepare mashed potatos after one of your own recipes or use the following:

Peel about 1-1.5 kg of potatoes, dice, cook in salted water until very done. Drain water, mash potatoes with a fork and add some chunks of butter. Mix well. Add some cream, salt, nutmeg and keep mixing until it has a thick and not too wet consistency.

Topping:

- 2-3 tins of white tuna (net weight all together about 300-350 grams (or else substitute the tuna with some other white meat fresh fish freed from bones and cut into small pieces)

- 250-300 gr. sour cream

- 2 fistful shredded cheese

- chopped parsley

- chopped chive or dill, whatever at hand

- white pepper

- salt

Combine all above mentioned ingredients (but leave one fistful of shredded cheese aside). Put mashed potato in an oven pan, layer the sour cream mixture on top. Add the rest of the cheese on top of the sour cream mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200° Celsius.

Here the pareve Italian variation:

Prepare mashed potatoes without cream/butter. Instead add some pareve margarine and if desired some thick soy cream. Prepare a very thick Italian tomato sauce after your liking, add tuna fish (pink tuna). Proceed as described above but leave away the cheese. Enjoy!