Shepherd's Fish Pie

This is a refrigerator raid recipe. Last night, we had a roasted chicken and mashed potato supper. It was simple and simply delicious. There wasn't a scrap of chicken left, but a good size portion of mashed potatoes was safely stored in the fridge. I knew it wouldn't go to waste, after all, Saturday is steak night, so the creamy potatoes would be a great side dish. Not to be, my dears.
I defrosted fish. I took out a tilapia fillet, but it was awfully small. What was I thinking when I bought that iddy biddy piece? I had just shy of a pound of scallops. Okay...a good combo. I considered making it spicy, maybe Mexican, but, I had Indian food for lunch the other day and just yesterday an Indian priest shared his lunch with me....rabbit in an extremely spicy curry sauce. Enough spice, already...at least for one week.
So the culinary pendulum swung in a totally different direction. I pulled a few items out of the refrigerator...mashed potatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, butter. Peas from the freezer. Dang, if I had defrosted ground beef, this could be a yummy shepherd's pie. I swear a light bulb went off above my head. Why not a Shepherd's Fish Pie? How delicious is fish and mashed potatoes topped with mozzarella cheese? And so a star fish dish was born.
The only thing I changed was I swapped the classic shepherd's pie vegetable, peas, for collard greens. Why? Practicality. I had a container of collard greens already cooked, and that "don't waste food" part of me won out, but....if you make this, use peas for a more traditional Shepherd's pie. I didn't add collard greens to the actual pie, but served it on the side.
I was pleased with the final result. The recipe was silky, creamy with the most wonderful mouth-feel. The taste was buttery; the fish delicate. The combination of mozzarella and Parmesan was the perfect cheese duo. I love when a unplanned recipe comes together perfectly...the unexpected is always the best!

Shepherd's Fish Pie

1 fillet of mild white fish, cut up into chunks
1 lb. scallops, rinsed
2 cups of mashed potatoes
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
5 pats butter
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley
salt
olive oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Season fish with garlic powder, onion powder and salt.  Drizzle a bit of oil in a baking dish. Place seasoned fish in dish.  Top with mashed potatoes.  Put pats of butter on the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until fish is white and firm and cheese is golden brown.
**if using peas, fold gently into mashed potatoes before adding to baking dish. 2-3 servings

Remember To Make Memories At The Table