OK, so I got this recipe from a friend for fisherman's pie, which I love. So I've had all the ingredients in the fridge/freezer for weeks and weeks, but I just never get around to making the pie. Even though I love fisherman's pie, I hate to cook and I just know I may never get around to doing it because it has so many steps: poach fish in milk, make white sauce, make mashed potato crust . . . Just too much bother for me, sorry to say.

So I'm wondering if I can just make it "redux" like a gratin, layering the fish, thin sliced potatoes, eggs and cheese and then pouring a thickened white sauce over the whole thing and baking it. Have any of you made anything like that?? Would it be good? I suppose I could be the first to try/invent it, but smoked whitefish, salmon and shrimp is expensive, I hate to waste it. If this idea isn't a good one I guess I could just do a chowder. Anyone ever made a "fisherman's gratin?"

Here's the ingredients and instructions for the original recipe.

Ingredients400g skinless white fish fillet

400g skinless smoked haddock fillet

600ml full-fat milk

1 small onion , quartered

4 cloves

2 bay leaves

4 eggs

small bunch parsley , leaves only, chopped

100g butter

50g plain flour

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1kg floury potato , peeled and cut into even-sized chunks

50g cheddar , grated

Poach the fish. Put the fish in the frying pan and pour over 500ml of the milk. Stud each onion quarter with a clove, then add to the milk, with the bay leaves. Bring the milk just to the boil - you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Lift the fish onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces in the baking dish.

Hard-boil the eggs. Bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a gentle boil, with just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. Set the timer for 8 mins, cook, then drain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Peel, slice into quarters and arrange on top of the fish, then scatter over the chopped parsley.

Make the sauce. Melt half the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min over moderate heat. Take off the heat, pour in a little of the cold poaching milk, then stir until blended. Continue to add the milk gradually, mixing well until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, bringto the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring continually, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the fish.

Assemble and bake. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 20 mins. Drain, season and mash with the remaining butter and milk. Use to top the pie, starting at the edge of the dish and working your way in - push the mash right to the edges to seal. Fluff the top with a fork, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 30 mins. Make up to a day ahead, chill, then bake for 40 mins.

Different flavours

Seafood: Add 200g raw peeled king prawns to the baking dish along with the poached fish. Salmon & dill: Replace the smoked haddock with 400g skinless salmon fillets, and use dill instead of the parsley. Fish & vegetable: Add 100g each frozen peas and sweetcorn to the baking dish before pouring over the sauce