Fish Pie, sometimes called Fisherman's Pie, is a classic British standby featuring a creamy, smoky fish stew topped with a rustic mashed potato crust. It's like a seaside rendition of shepherd's pie! Not only is it cozy and comforting, but it's relatively easy to make and incredibly satisfying.
(This recipe was originally published in March 2014, but was updated with new photos and content in 2021).
British fish pie is almost like a shepherd's pie or cottage pie crossed with creamy fish stew or thick chowder. It's comforting and flavorful with big chunks of flaky fish and fresh peas. No side dish necessary, except maybe a light, green salad for freshness.
This fish pie is slightly smoky from the inclusion of smoked fish with a nice seafood flavor that isn't too fishy. Lemon zest provides brightness and freshness and really enhances the flavor of the fish.
The key is to poach the fish in milk and then use that fish-infused milk to make the creamy sauce. It yields a beautiful white sauce for the fish pie filling which is thick and luscious, perfect for cloaking all the bites of fish and peas. Tucked beneath a topping of creamy potato mash, this British fish pie filling is perfectly balanced.
Ingredient notes
- White Fish: For the skinless, boneless white fish fillets, try using cod, haddock, halibut, snapper, or any other white fish you enjoy. Avoid swordfish as it is a bit too firm and dry for this preparation.
- Fresh Salmon: Use skinless, boneless salmon. If your salmon fillets are much thicker than your white fish fillets, cut the salmon into slightly smaller pieces so they cook evenly with the white fish. I cut mine into quarters.
- Smoked Fish: I use smoked salmon, but you can use any other smoked fish you enjoy such as smoked haddock, cod, or mackerel (skin and bones removed). Some people prefer using a lot more smoked fish than I do. If you prefer a super smoky fish pie, increase the amount of smoked fish and reduce the fresh fish proportionately.
- Potatoes: Floury potatoes (like Russets) are ideal for this recipe, but you can use any potatoes you enjoy using for mashed potatoes (yellow or gold potatoes are yummy too!).
- Cheddar Cheese: I would normally think it's crazy to put cheese anywhere near fish, but I've seen fish pie made with or without cheddar cheese in the mashed potato topping. It adds a sharpness and richness and even in conjunction with the fishy filling, it really works. It simply adds more flavor, and more flavor is never a bad thing. I've tried it both ways and both are delicious, so it's really up to you if you want to include cheese or not.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease a 2-to-2 ½-quart baking dish and place it on the foil-lined baking sheet.
To make the topping: Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are tender and drain. Mash the potatoes with the milk, sour cream, butter, and cheddar cheese if using. Adjust seasoning with more salt, if needed. Cover and keep warm until needed.
To make the fish pie filling: Heat the milk and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the white fish and salmon and poach until they're cooked through and begin to flake.
Carefully strain out the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside, breaking it up into large bite-size pieces. Discard the bay leaves, but reserve the hot milk.
In a large pot add the butter and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Mix in the flour and stir to coat all of the onions with it.
Gently begin whisking in the hot milk (from poaching the fish). Whisk until smooth and then simmer until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper (PHOTO 1). Stir in the peas, parsley, lemon zest, and smoked salmon (PHOTOS 2-3). Gently fold in the poached fish (PHOTO 4).
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish (PHOTO 5). Carefully top with the mashed potatoes, sealing in all the edges first (to prevent the filling from bubbling over the edges too much) (PHOTO 6).
Then cover the remaining filling with the remaining mashed potatoes. Use a fork to draw lines over the mashed potato topping to give it texture.
Bake the fisherman's pie until the filling is bubbling (it may bubble out of some of the edges) and the topping starts to brown.
At this point, you can broil the fish pie for a few additional minutes to brown it more, if desired. Serve immediately.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
To reheat leftover fish pie, transfer the leftovers as best you can to a smaller baking dish ensuring the mashed potato topping stays on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for about 20 to 25 minutes (or less if it's a small amount of leftovers) until heated through. Finish baking for a few minutes uncovered to re-crisp the top.
There are many different ways to make fisherman's pie, and you can easily adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes. Consider replacing some of the fish with peeled and deveined shrimp or prawns and/or scallops. Quartered hard-boiled eggs are also a popular addition (simply tuck them into the filling before topping with the potato mash).
Other recipes you may like
- Guinness Bread
- Cottage Pies
- Individual Beef and Mushroom Pies
- Chicken and Mushroom Pies
- Chicken and Leek Pie
- Bangers and Mash
- Wrapped Salmon in Phyllo with Lemon Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Frosting
- Rock Cakes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Fish Pie
Ingredients
Topping:
- 2 to 2 ¼ pounds (about 1 kilogram) potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 5 ounces (140 grams) cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Filling:
- 2 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound (455 grams) skinless boneless white fish fillets
- 6 ounces (170 grams) skinless boneless salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (140 grams) green peas fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 4 ounces (113 grams) sliced smoked salmon or other smoked fish, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease a 2-to-2 ½-quart baking dish, place it on the foil-lined baking sheet and set aside.
- To make the topping: Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are tender and drain. Mash the potatoes with the milk, sour cream, butter, and cheddar cheese if using. Adjust seasoning with more salt, if needed. Cover and keep warm until needed.
- To make the filling: Heat the milk and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the white fish and salmon and poach for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they're cooked through and begin to flake (the time is dependent on the thickness of the fish). Carefully strain out the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside, breaking it up into large bite-size pieces. Discard the bay leaves, but reserve the hot milk.
- In a large pot add the butter and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Mix in the flour and stir to coat all of the onions with it. Gently begin whisking in the hot milk (from poaching the fish). Whisk until smooth and then simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in the peas, parsley, and lemon zest. Gently fold in the smoked salmon and poached fish, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Carefully top with the mashed potatoes, sealing in all the edges first (to prevent the filling from bubbling over the edges too much) and then cover the remaining filling with the remaining mashed potatoes. Use a fork to draw lines over the mashed potato topping to give it texture.
- Bake the fish pie for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling (it may bubble out of some of the edges) and the topping starts to brown. At this point, you can broil the fish pie for a few additional minutes to brown it more, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For the white fish fillets, try using cod, haddock, halibut, snapper, or any other white fish you enjoy. Avoid swordfish as it is a bit too firm and dry for this preparation.
- If your salmon fillets are much thicker than your white fish fillets, cut the salmon into slightly smaller pieces so they cook evenly with the white fish. I cut mine into quarters.
- I use smoked salmon, but you can use any other smoked fish you enjoy such as smoked haddock, cod, or mackerel (skin and bones removed).
- Some people prefer using a lot more smoked fish than I do. If you prefer a super smoky fish pie, increase the amount of smoked fish and reduce the fresh fish proportionately.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Lisa says
I made this for my bible study group and got great reviews. Some even asked for the recipe.
Sophie says
This recipe is easy to follow and turned out really really well !
Karla says
Excellent recipe. I made the fish pie this evening so wonderful! Thank you for posting.
Chris says
In the recipe it says 4oz sliced smoked salmon but in the instructions it doesnโt say where to put that. Do you just add it with the other salmon?
Victoria says
Hi Chris,
Step 5 in the recipe card indicates to add the smoked salmon along with the poached fish (white fish and regular non-smoked salmon). That would be the appropriate time to add it. Be sure to dice the smoked salmon into smaller pieces before adding it to the rest of the mixture.
Abbey says
Really nice made this tonight. Thank you for the Recipe. Delicious.
Janice says
Loved it!
Juliette Gilbert says
This worked out perfectly. All I added was some raw prawns.
Bernard says
Best fish dish I've had in a long time. 10 out of 10.
Sheryl says
Great recipe! We tried it with a pie crust instead of potatoes and it was yummy!
Joan says
Love it!
Mary Kabakian says
I love the idea of serving fish this way. It looks super cozy and comforting.