Fish Pie
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Servings
6 - 8 people
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Calories
365 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Fish Pie
Description
This Fish Pie recipe uses a mix of smoked fish, such as cod, and fresh fish like perch, poached in milk infused with onion and cloves to impart subtle aromatic flavor. The milk is reserved to create a creamy white sauce made by sautéing garlic, onion, carrot, and celery, then thickening with flour and blending in herbs like tarragon and parsley. This sauce envelops the flaked fish and any optional ingredients like peas and quartered hard-boiled eggs.
The dish is finished with a topping of mashed floury potatoes enriched with butter and milk, baked until golden. The combination of smoked and fresh fish provides a depth of flavor with a slightly smoky note balanced by the creamy, herbaceous sauce. The texture contrasts between tender fish chunks and smooth mashed potatoes.
Fish Pie is commonly served as a hearty main dish, often enjoyed in cooler weather. Accompaniments are optional since the dish includes vegetables and protein. It can be tailored by choosing different fish or adding extras like Parmesan cheese for added richness.
Practical notes include ensuring the sauce is thick enough to prevent runniness after baking, removing fish bones carefully, and the flexibility to prepare components ahead. Leftovers reheat well, with advice on loosening the filling if it becomes too thick. Gluten-free modification is possible by substituting flour with cornflour. The recipe is suited to a 12x8 inch baking dish or similar.
Ingredients
Fish:
- 400 g / 14 oz smoked fish Note 1, of choice
- 400 g / 14 oz raw fish I used Perch (Note 2, unsmoked, of choice
- 3 cups / 750 ml milk , low fat or full fat
- 1 brown onion , quartered (Note 3)
- 4 cloves , optional (Note 4)
White Sauce:
- 50 g / 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1/2 onion finely chopped, small
- 1 carrot finely chopped, small
- 1 celery finely chopped, small stick
- 1/3 cup / 50g all-purpose flour plain flour, Note 11 for GF
- 1 tbsp tarragon finely chopped (optional, fresh
- 2 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
- salt
- black pepper
Potato Topping:
- 750 g / 1.5 lb floury potato , peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces (Note 5)
- 30 g / 2 tbsp+ butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml milk any fat %
Pie:
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 4 egg quartered (optional) (Note 6, hard boiled
- 30 g / 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 cup / 15g Parmesan Cheese optional, grated
- parsley for garnish (optional, finely chopped
Instructions
Fish:
- Push a clove into the skin of each onion. Place in a pot or large skillet, add milk, turn stove onto medium high heat.
- When milk is barely simmering, add fish - don't worry if it's not entirely covered, it can be turned / moved around.
- Poach fish for 7 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer fish straight into a medium baking dish (Note 8).
- Flake into chunks using forks. Remove bones if you see any.
- Use slotted spoon to remove onion and cloves from milk, discard. RESERVE milk.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Boil water for potatoes.
Sauce:
- Melt butter in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add celery and carrot, cook for 5 minutes until carrot is soft.
- Turn heat down to medium low. Add flour, mix in - it will look gluey.
- Add half the milk and quickly start mixing. Once incorporated, the mixture will thicken quickly. Add remaining milk and stir. (Video helpful here)
- Turn heat up to medium and keep stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of honey - about 3 minutes. (Note 7)
- Take it off the heat, stir through tarragon and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Pie:
- Scatter top of flaked fish with peas, then pour over the Sauce. GENTLY stir through (don't want fish to turn into mush!).*
- Smooth top, then nestle egg in all over the pie.
Mashed Potato:
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until soft. (Do this while making the Sauce).
- Drain potato, add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash until creamy - add more milk if required.
- Immediately dollop then spread onto pie (cold mash = hard to spread).
- Use fork to draw squiggles on surface (rough surface = better golden bits).
Bake Pie:
- Drizzle surface with melted butter, sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until top is deep golden.
- Stand for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with parsley if desired. See notes for reheating and make ahead.
Notes
- Use any large flaky fish such as cod, perch, salmon, or barramundi, avoiding dry-fleshed or delicate fish like tuna or flounder.
- Smoked fish adds a distinctive flavor; if unavailable, increase Parmesan cheese in the sauce to compensate.
- Remove all fish bones carefully before assembling to avoid unexpected bones when serving.
- The sauce should be thick before baking to prevent a watery filling; adjust thickness with flour or cornflour for gluten-free version.
- Potatoes should be floury varieties like Russet; mash smoothly with butter and milk for topping.
- Hard-boiled eggs and peas are traditional but optional for textural and flavor variety.
- Fish Pie can be made ahead by partially cooking the sauce and assembling before baking; cover and refrigerate until ready.
- Leftovers reheat well; to refresh thickened filling, mix in milk or cream under the potato topping before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6- 8 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 365 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 323g | |
| Calories | 365cal | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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