From the team of chef's at the University of Nottingham

Serves: 4

Cook time: 40mins

Difficulty: Medium

A tender and flavourful seafood dish made 10x better with a extra creamy sauce and a cheese scone to top it off. This recipe was taken directly from a past catered halls menu!

Ingredients

• 0.83g Cracked black pepper
• 0.83g Table salt
• 667ml Béchamel sauce (white sauce, what you'd usually find in lasagna)
• 12.5ml Lemon juice
• 4 Cheese scones (one per person)
• 500g Fish pie mix (whitefish & salmon, skinless and boneless)
• 83.3g Leeks (sliced)
• 83.3g Onions (diced)
• 8.33g Flat parsley (chopped)

Method

1. Make the béchamel sauce (or you can skip this step and just buy the white sauce from a supermarket):

• Melt 40g butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
• Add 40g plain flour, whisking continuously to form a smooth paste (roux). Cook for 1–2 minutes without browning.
• Gradually pour in 667ml whole milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Let it thicken slightly before adding more milk.
• Once all milk is added, season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and an optional pinch of nutmeg.
• Simmer on low for 5–7 minutes until thickened and smooth.
• Stir in 83.3g sliced leeks and 83.3g diced onions, then cook for another 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.

2. Prepare the fish pie mix:

• Cut 500g of fish pie mix (whitefish and salmon, skinless and boneless) into bite-sized pieces if not pre-cut.
• Add the fish pieces directly into the béchamel sauce.
• Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes to cook the fish. Avoid stirring too vigorously to prevent breaking up the fish too much.

3. Add flavourings:

• Stir in 8.33g of chopped flat parsley and 12.5ml lemon juice.
• Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well but gently.

4. Prepare the scones:

• Halve cheese scones into half-moon shapes for each person.
• Gently warm the scones in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 5 minutes.

5. Assemble and serve:

• Ladle the piping-hot mixture into individual serving dishes.
• Place the warmed scones upright on top of the mixture.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley for presentation.

6. Ensure food safety:

• Check that the core temperature of the chowder reaches +75°C before serving.

This dish was inspired by the food served on campus. Sign up for your MealPass to make the most of catering on campus, even if you're not in catered halls.