cookSmoked trout and fennel pies with peas

From: gourmettraveller.com.au
SERVES 6

600 gm store-bought shortcrust pastry
500 ml (2 cups) fish stock
1 baby fennel bulb, finely chopped
175 gm piece of skinless ocean trout, pin-boned, cut into 3cm pieces
150 gm skinless fillet of snapper, cut into 3cm pieces
100 gm peeled uncooked prawns, coarsely chopped
150 gm hot-smoked trout, coarsely flaked
125 gm crème fraîche
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
½ cup (loosely-packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp coarsely chopped dill
Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
240 gm (2 cups) peas
20 gm butter, coarsely chopped
To serve:lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick, place on a tray and refrigerate to rest for 30 minutes. Cut out six 16cm-diameter rounds and press into six 3cm deep, 10cm-diameter metal pie tins, trim edges and refrigerate to rest (30 minutes). Blind-bake until just set and starting to colour (10-12 minutes). Remove weights and paper and bake until golden and cooked (8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven to 100C. Bring stock to the simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, add fennel and simmer until tender (3-4 minutes). Add trout, snapper and prawns, simmer until just opaque and almost cooked (2-3 minutes), then set aside in stock to finish cooking and to cool slightly (15 minutes). Drain (discard stock), then transfer mixture to a bowl and coarsely flake fish. Add smoked trout, crème fraîche, spring onions, herbs, lemon rind and juice, season to taste, stir gently to combine, then divide among pie shells and keep warm in oven.

Blanch peas in boiling salted water until bright green (1-2 minutes). Drain, crush with butter, season to taste and pile on top of pies. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

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