Irish Codfish Pie

I made this once before and my son loved it.  Fresh cod was on sale yesterday so I bought it to make for dinner tonight.  I did use a recipe the first time, but I didn't bookmark it so don't remember which one.  It really wasn't difficult to make so I didn't need to find it again as it's basically just fish, sauce, mashed potatoes and cheese...I could whip that all together without a recipe...

I boiled and mashed the potatoes first.  3 LARGE Russets.  I added some chopped Italian flat leaf parsley to the mash.

I wished I had bought leeks, but I unfortunately didn't think about it.  I thought that fennel would have been nice too but didn't think of it either, so I decided to use a splash of anise liqueur.  (I have Herbsaint from New Orleans at home).  For the sauce I used:

• One small onion, small dice
• Ounce of Herbsaint Liqueur
• Sliced green onions (I only had 2 in the fridge)
• 2 large leaves of Kale, stem removed and sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 250 grams of cream cheese
• 1 cup of no salt chicken stock
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 2 cups of Half & Half cream
• Freshly cracked kosher salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 1 & 1/2 lbs fresh cod, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning 
• Cayenne Pepper to taste (I used about 3/4 of a teaspoon)

I sauteed the onions first with the seasoning and pepper.  Then I added the Herbsaint and cooked it out.  

I added the flour next and cooked it out.  I added the chicken stock and the lemon juice.  When it became a smooth, thick sauce, I added the cream and cream cheese.  I added the kale, green onions and cod.  

I only cooked until it was all combined and poured it into the baking dish.

I grated about 3 cups of Kraft Old Cheddar.  I put about a cup on top of the fish mixture.  I then added the mashed potatoes and smoothed them out over the casserole dish.  

I added the rest of the cheese.  I put in in a preheated 350°F oven and baked for 45 minutes on a foil lined cookie sheet because I figured it would leak...and it did.  

I let it sit for 15 minutes before cutting into it when it came out of the oven.  Even after waiting 15 minutes, it still did a bit of "secretary spread"...

This is not really the "healthy" food I am trying to eat this month, but it is comforting (RICH), that is for sure.  Good thing I don't make it often.  It was tasty.  I always like fish cakes or anything fish/potato doused with ketchup, even salmon cakes (it's a childhood thing, the way my dad served them).  So, I had some.  I also was out of lemon so squirted lime over the finished product.  This recipe was created today by using what ingredients I had in the house.