Cod Potpies with Dill Biscuit Crusts

By Bostoncook

Epicurious

Ingredients

• For filling:
• 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used less than 1 tbsp)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used half skim milk and half fat-free half-and-half)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 lb cod fillets, skinless; cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• For biscuit crust
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1 tablespoon, melted (I used 3 tbsp and just a tad to brush on top of the crusts at the end)
• 1/2 cup whole milk, plus 1 tablespoon (again, I used half skim milk and half fat-free half and half)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill (used 1 tbsp dried dill)

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Make sauce for filling: Wash leek in a bowl of water, then lift out and drain well. Cook leek, carrot, and celery in butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. (Sauce will be thick.) Remove pan from heat.

4. Make crust: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter cubes with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in milk and dill with a fork until mixture just comes together. Gather dough into a ball, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Roll out with a floured rolling pin into an 8-inch square (1/2 inch thick), then cut out 4 biscuits using cutter.

5. Make filling and bake pies: Sprinkle cod with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir in fish, then divide among ramekins. Top each ramekin with a biscuit, then brush biscuits with melted butter.

6. Arrange ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake until sauce is bubbling and biscuits are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes: This was exceptional - the epitomy of comfort food. Lightened the original recipe considerably - using much less butter than called for (less than a tb for sautéing the veggies, and only 3 tbs for the biscuit dough). Also used a combination of skim milk, buttermilk, and fat-free half-and-half instead of the whole milk and upped the veggies a bit. Fantastic.