Fish Pie

4.86 from 7 votes

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.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Total Time1 hr 50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British, Irish

Servings: servings

Calories: 366kcal

Author: Victoria

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