British Fish Pie with Mashed Potato Topping

1. Place cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

2. Transfer potato cubes to the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend gently, adding cubed butter and milk. Add in eggs and mix only until mashed potatoes reach your desired consistency, or finish by hand if needed;overmixing will yield gluey potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. While potatoes are boiling, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and thyme and saute until onions are soft and browned, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with vermouth and cook until alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in stock and milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce should be fairly thick, but if it's too thick you can thin it out with a little bit of additional stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Turn off heat and stir in the half-and-half and parsley.

5. Scatter salmon, cod pieces, and shrimp onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle lemon juice over the top of the seafood.

6. Pour prepared sauce over seafood and stir gently to combine. Spread prepared potatoes over the top and fluff with a fork, then sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the top.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until potatoes are evenly browned all over, seafood is cooked through, and pie is bubbly and piping hot, about 20 more minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note:

You can substitute chicken or vegetable stock for the fish stock. You can use haddock fillets instead of cod.