The Ultimate Fish Pie Recipe That Converts Skeptics

The Fish Pie Recipe That Saved a Rainy Sunday – There are exactly three things I do when it rains in New York for more than 48 hours straight: reorganize my spice drawer (again), pretend I’m finally going to learn French (again), and make comfort food that feels like a warm blanket for dinner.

Fish pie

Lumina Liu

A hearty British fish pie featuring a medley of fish, potatoes, artichokes, prawns, and a creamy sauce with a cheesy mashed potato topping.

4.9 from 100 votes

Prep Time 30 Minutes

Cook Time 40 Minutes

Total Time 70 Minutes

Course Seafood

Cuisine British

Servings 4 servings

Calories 500 calories kcal

Ingredients

 

• 900g Floury Potatoes
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 600ml Semi-skimmed Milk
• 800g White Fish Fillets
• 1 tbsp Plain flour
• Grating Nutmeg
• 3 tbsp Double Cream
• 200g Jerusalem Artichokes
• 1 finely sliced Leek
• 200g peeled raw Prawns
• Large handful Parsley
• Handful Dill
• Grated zest of 1 Lemon
• 25g grated Gruyère
• Juice of 1 Lemon

Instructions

 

1. Put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover, then simmer gently for 15 minutes until tender. Drain, then return to the pan over a low heat for 30 seconds to drive off any excess water. Mash with 1 tbsp olive oil, then season.
2. Meanwhile put the milk in a large sauté pan, add the fish and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and stand for 3 minutes. Remove the fish (reserving the milk) and pat dry with kitchen paper, then gently flake into an ovenproof dish, discarding the skin and any bones.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in 200-250ml of the reserved milk (discard the rest). Grate in nutmeg, season, then bubble until thick. Stir in the cream.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Grate the artichokes and add to the dish with the leek, prawns and herbs. Stir the lemon zest and juice into the sauce, then pour over. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.
5. Spoon the mash onto the fish mixture, then use a fork to make peaks, which will crisp and brown as it cooks. Sprinkle over the cheese, then bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with wilted greens.

Nutrition

Calories: 500.00 caloriesFat: 20.00 gramsCarbohydrates: 45.00 gramsProtein: 30.00 grams

Keyword Fish, Pie, Breakfast, Baking

Pin Now, Cook Later!

Save this tasty recipe on Pinterest for your next meal

Save to Pinterest

Last weekend, with water practically cascading down our apartment windows and my husband giving me that “please don’t reorganize the spices for the third time this year” look, I turned to option three. And friends, that’s how this fish pie recipe reentered our lives.

I first encountered fish pie on a trip to London years ago, where I ordered it mostly out of curiosity at a small pub. I was expecting something, well, pie-like – with a proper crust and everything.

What arrived instead was this glorious casserole topped with mashed potatoes that made me question why Americans don’t make this every single Sunday from October through April.

It’s essentially the seafood version of shepherd’s pie, and I’ve been tinkering with my own fish pie recipe ever since.

The Magic of British Fish Pie

There’s something wonderfully unfussy about British comfort food. It doesn’t try too hard or ask for impossible-to-find ingredients.

Fish pie is quintessentially British – practical, satisfying, and somehow both humble and special at the same time.

It originated as a way to use up fish and potatoes, those staples of the UK diet, and has evolved into something people actually crave.

The beauty of this fish pie recipe is how it transforms simple ingredients into something that feels like a warm hug on a plate.

The creamy sauce, the tender fish, the crispy potato top – it all comes together in a dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

And while it might look fancy when it comes out of the oven all golden and bubbling, it’s actually one of the more forgiving recipes in my arsenal.

The Fish Pie Ingredient Lineup

Let’s talk about what goes into this magical creation:

For the potato topping:

• 900g floury potatoes (Russets or Yukon Golds work beautifully)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

For the fishy filling:

• 600ml semi-skimmed milk
• 800g white fish fillets (cod, haddock, or whatever looks good)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• A good grating of nutmeg
• 3 tbsp double cream
• 200g Jerusalem artichokes, grated
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 200g peeled raw prawns
• Large handful of parsley, chopped
• Handful of dill, chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 25g grated Gruyère cheese

I know what you’re thinking – Jerusalem artichokes? In a fish pie? Trust me on this one.

They add a subtle nutty sweetness that works wonderfully with the seafood.

But if you can’t find them (and let’s be honest, they’re not always the easiest vegetable to track down), you can substitute with celeriac or even a couple of grated carrots.

Let’s Make Fish Pie

Imagine a dish that’s the catch of the day, a culinary masterpiece that will hook your taste buds and leave you spellbound – let’s create a delectable Fish Pie, a treasure trove of flavors that will leave you enchanted and yearning for more.

Step 1: Potato Business

First things first, let’s get those potatoes going. Put them in a large pan of cold salted water and bring to a boil.

This is one of those rare occasions where you don’t want to start with boiling water – starting cold helps them cook more evenly.

Once boiling, lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until they’re tender when poked with a knife.

Drain them well, then return to the pan over low heat for 30 seconds.

This little trick drives off excess water and gives you fluffier mash. Add a tablespoon of olive oil (I sometimes sneak in a bit of butter too, because who are we kidding?) and mash until smooth. Season with salt and set aside.

Step 2: Fish Poaching

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large sauté pan and add your fish fillets. Bring it just to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Cover and let it stand for 3 minutes – this gentle poaching keeps the fish moist and tender.

Carefully remove the fish (save that milk!), pat dry with kitchen paper, and flake it into an ovenproof dish. Be vigilant about removing any skin or bones – nobody wants a surprise bone in their cozy fish pie.

Step 3: The All-Important Sauce

This sauce is what transforms this fish pie recipe from good to “can I please have thirds?” Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, stir in the flour, and cook for 30 seconds.

You’re making a roux here, which will thicken the sauce. Make sure to keep stirring – we want it to cook but not color.

Now gradually add 200-250ml of that reserved poaching milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.

Grate in some nutmeg (fresh if you have it – pre-ground nutmeg is the saddest spice in the cabinet), season with salt and pepper, and let it bubble away until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cream and prepare for your kitchen to smell amazing.

Step 4: Bringing It All Together

Preheat your oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5 (that’s about 375°F for my fellow Americans).

Now for the fun part – grate those Jerusalem artichokes and add them to the dish with your flaked fish. Scatter over the sliced leek, raw prawns, and herbs. The uncooked prawns might seem strange, but they’ll cook perfectly in the oven and stay juicy.

Stir the lemon zest and juice into your beautiful sauce, then pour it over everything in the dish. Give it a gentle mix with a wooden spoon – you want to combine everything without breaking up the fish too much.

Step 5: The Crowning Glory

Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the fish mixture. Instead of smoothing it out perfectly, use a fork to create peaks and valleys – these will crisp up beautifully in the oven and give you those gorgeous golden bits that everyone fights over.

Sprinkle the Gruyère over the top. I’ve been known to add a bit more than the recipe calls for because, well, cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up at the edges.

When Fish Pie Saves the Day

The first time I made this fish pie recipe for my husband, he gave me that look – you know the one – where they’re trying to be polite but are secretly wondering why there’s seafood under mashed potatoes.

Three bites in, he was converted. Now it’s one of his most requested dishes, especially when the weather turns chilly.

I serve mine with simple wilted greens – spinach, kale, or whatever looks good at the market. The slight bitterness of the greens cuts through the richness of the pie perfectly.

And while it might be tempting to add a starch on the side, remember there are potatoes in the dish already – it’s truly a complete meal in one casserole.

This fish pie is forgiving in the best possible way. Had a heavy hand with the herbs? No problem. Only have 600g of fish instead of 800g? It’ll still be delicious.

The essence of this dish isn’t precision – it’s comfort, warmth, and using what you have to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

And on that rainy Sunday last weekend, as we sat with steaming plates of fish pie, watching the downpour outside our windows, I realized that sometimes the best recipes aren’t the ones with the most exotic ingredients or complicated techniques – they’re the ones that make you feel at home, wherever you are.