Mum’s Matariki Smoked Fish Pie

• Main Ingredient: Smoked Fish
• Prep Time: 15-20 mins
• Cook Time: 1-1.5 hrs
• Serves: 6-8
• Recipe by: Ironclad Co.

TAKAKAU UHI IKA
Mum’s Smoked Fish Pie

Pairama Wright, Kāti Māmoe, Te Āti Awa, Ngā Ruahine, is a content creator and culinary enthusiast known for his engaging presence on TikTok and Instagram. He shares recipes and stories that celebrate Māori culture and heritage, aiming to connect with audiences through food and storytelling.

“Kia ora! Today I am making Takakau Uhi Ika, also known as Mum’s Fish Pie. This is something she would always make for us growing up, with simple ingredients and a whole lot of aroha. So that’s what we are doing today. I’ve teamed up with Ironclad whānau, and we are using this beautiful skillet to cook our fish pie today. I’ve been given the whetū Waitā, which encompasses all that Tangaroa has to offer us. Tangaroa, being our atua of the moana, is actually more sentimental to me than you may realise. Tangaroa has always been that atua for me. In times of struggle, in times of worry, in times of concern, I would always go to the moana.

While it’s commonly known that I’m not a massive seafood eater, I do love my ika and smoked ika – kare i tua atu! 

Cooking this fish pie has been sentimental to me. The second I could smell it cooking, it took me right back to being a child and waiting for my Mum’s fish pie to be ready. As soon as it came out of the oven, all the kids would come to the dinner table, Mum would dish it up, and we would all just be so happy.  

The simple idea of kotahitanga as a whānau to me is everything we should celebrate during Matariki. While we do have traditions and practices associated with Matariki, for me, it’s the idea that all those practices bring our whānau together. While significant moments like that are important, it’s our daily reminder to do that every single day and to acknowledge it every single day. The times when your whānau are all sitting together on the couch, chatting about your day, the car rides home from school, talking about things you’ve learnt, the weekend bike rides with your dad out to the middle of nowhere or those moments around the dinner table each night when the whānau are at their happiest. Those moments are what encompass all of our inherent Māori values. Aroha – love, manaakitanga – the ability to extend love, kaitiakitanga – guardianship, kotahitanga – togetherness.

Matāriki is the time that reminds us of these values that we hold. This smoked fish pie may only be a smoked fish pie, seasoned to perfection by yours truly. But it very much reminds me of the love that my Mum would put into her cooking every single night, making sure that us kids were fed, healthy, and happy before we went to bed. 

When I would go and sit with Tangaroa by the moana, I would actually sit with these memories that remind me of my inherent values. I would look out at how vast the ocean was, and be instantly reminded that what I was feeling at the time was temporary. With Waitā as my given whetū, I’m being reminded of all those things. The connection between Tangaroa, the moana, and our identity, and the importance of togetherness, especially through kai. While Matariki does symbolise the Māori New Year, it’s also a reminder of who we are.”

— Pairama Wright

METHOD:

1. Begin by peeling, dicing and boiling the potatoes as these take the longest.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan of water and bring to a hard boil (a good way to know they’re at the hard boil stage is when you see small cracks form in the shell).
3. While those are on, start preparing the white sauce by placing butter and flour in a saucepan. Cook this out on medium for 5 minutes.
4. Gradually add milk 1/4 cup at a time, whisking in between.
5. Once the sauce is at a consistency you’re happy with, add the seasonings and leave it on low while you prepare the rest of the dish, stirring every 5 minutes.
6. Chop up your fish and onions to a thickness that you like. Chunky is best.
7. Once potatoes are soft enough to mash, take them off the heat and mash to a smooth consistency.
8. Add butter and cream, and whip till smooth.
9. Add both cheeses and continue to fold in. The mash should hold together with the mozzarella.
10. Assemble the pie by adding fish, eggs, and onion to the bottom of your 28cm Ironclad cast-iron pan.
11. Pour the white sauce over the mixture. Give this a slight mix to incorporate all ingredients
12. Top with cheesy mash. Add a little extra cheese or butter on top if desired
13. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes covered, and then remove the cover for a further 20 minutes until the top is golden and crispy
14. Enjoy!