Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (2024)

Published by Sheena Strain, last updated

Recipe

Fish Pie is classicBritish comfort foodthat’s easy to make and can be made with a variety of fish and shellfish

Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (1)

What is Fish Pie?

Fish Pie (sometimes known as Fisherman’s Pie) is a classic British recipethat’s the ultimate in weeknight comfort food!

It’s typically made by first poaching the fishlightly in milk, and then that milk is used to make the white sauce. The pie is topped with mashed potato rather than pastry and baked in a hot oven.

I grew up on the West Coast of Scotland so the fish pie my family made had locally caught fish which often includedcod, haddock, Whiting, or Pollock. We didn’t usually prawns to it (they are similar to US shrimp) but I’ve added them to my recipe.

Smoked haddock is a very popular optionthat’s often mixed in with the other fish, but I couldn’t find any in Mississippi.

I’ve also added green peas and hard cooked eggs as that’s the way my Mother in Law made it and I really liked her version.

Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (2)

How Do I Make Fish Pie?

The first step is to select your fish. I used salmon and shrimpas that was the best option available in my grocery store.

Ideally you are looking for firm fleshed salt water fish that will hold up well during cooking and not fall apart. Personally, I don’t think fresh water fish such as Bass, Crappie or Catfishwill provide the same flavor as salt water fish, so I would avoid them.

Once you are ready to cook, you need to preheat your oven to 350F.

In order to get a mild fish taste in the milk that you will use for your whitesauce, you either need to simmer the fish in the milk for a few minutes, or you can follow my lead and simply simmer the shrimp shells in the milk for about 20 minutes and that willwork in the same way.

Next, you’ll need to peel and boil the potatoes, then mash them and add a little butter and milk.

Nowseason the milk with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and fresh chopped parsley. Then, add two tablespoons of tapioca starch (or cornstarch if you are not following paleo/w30) and bring slowly to the boil until the white sauce is thickened.

Layer the fish, shrimp, hard boiled egg slices into an 8×8 inch oven proof dish. Then pour over the white sauce, let it chill for 15 minutes in the fridge so the sauce will thicken a little before adding the potatoes

Lastly, add the mashed potato over the top of the fish and bake for 30-40 minutes.

It’s a full meal in itself, but I sometimes serve it with steamed broccoli or green beans, and if you made this lovely gluten & rice free multigrain bread from Allergy Free Alaska that would also be a perfect accompaniment too.

Make it Dairy Free

I made this pie dairy free by using unsweetened Soy Milk for the white sauce, and dairy free margarine for the mashed potatoes.

Can I freeze it?

The pie will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so that’s always an option. One thing to note is that generally speaking potatoes do not freeze well, so if you want to freeze it I would just layer the uncooked fishinto the oven dish, then layer with the cooked white sauce and freeze it in the oven dish.

On the day you plan to serve it, defrost it and cook, mash and add the potatoes and, then just follow the directions for baking it.

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Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (3)

More Gluten Free British Recipes!

I have several gluten free British Recipes right here on Noshtastic, so don’t leave without checking them out. If you’re looking for another easy dinner recipes try my Gluten Free Shepherd’s Pie, it’s one of my mostpopular posts year round.

I also have a couple of gluten free British Baking Recipes you may want to try including Gluten Free Empire Biscuits, and a recipe for gluten free Shortbread Cookies.

Fish Pie

Fish Pie is a classic British dish that's easy to make and can be made with a variety of fish and shellfish, my recipe is gluten free and dairy free.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Carbs: 42 g

Protein: 40 g

Servings: 6

Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (4)

5 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

  • 1lbraw shrimp, in the shell, 454g - keep the shells
  • 1lbsalmon, skinned and cut into chunks, 454g
  • 3cupsmilk, I used unsweetened soy, 750mls
  • 1bay leaf
  • butter, or dairy free margarine, 25g
  • 2-3tbspcornstarch, , or tapioca starch for paleo/w30
  • 2.5lbspotatoes, russets are good, 1133g
  • 3tbspchopped fresh parsley
  • 2tbsplemon juice
  • 2eggs, hard boiled and sliced

Instructions

  1. Shell the shrimp and add the shells to a pot of milk (I used unsweetened soy)Simmer milk along with bay leaf for 20 minutes then let it cool.

  2. Preheat your oven to 350F.

  3. Peel and boil potatoes until soft, then add salt and pepper, mash with a little butter and milk.

  4. Season the milk with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice and parsley. Add in two tablespoons of cornstarch (or arrowroot or tapioca if you are not following paleo/w30) and bring slowly to the boil stirring all the time until the sauce is thickened. Please note: sometimes arrowroot and tapioca will produce a more gloopy/gluey sauce than using cornstarch will, so use a small amount first and then see how the sauce is.

  5. Layer the fish and hard boiled egg slices in an 8x8 inch oven proof dish, or one of similar size. Then pour over the white sauce and let it chill for 15 minutes in the fridge until the sauce thickens a little. (it's much easier to add the mashed potatoes when the sauce thickens)

  6. Now add the mashed potato over the top of the fish and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

  7. Serve hot, straight from the oven!

Nutrition Facts

Fish Pie

Amount Per Serving

Calories 427Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 303mg101%

Sodium 707mg31%

Potassium 1415mg40%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 395IU8%

Vitamin C 18.6mg23%

Calcium 296mg30%

Iron 4.2mg23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information on Noshtastic is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Author: Sheena Strain

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:British

Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (5)

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About Sheena Strain

Sheena Strain is the proud owner of Noshtastic, a gluten free website that specializes in easy family meals including Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and many pressure cooker recipes.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Odette says

    Also, your photos include peas. I think that would be a great addition.

    Reply

  2. Odette says

    Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (6)
    I made this exactly as the recipe. I did use frozen salmon and shrimp. As a result, my sauce when it was baked became more watery. I will make it again because the taste was great, but won’t use frozen seafood. I think it would be good with shrimp and cod as well.

    Reply

  3. Jayalakshmi Roy Chowdhury says

    Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (7)
    Very good and tasty recipe.Will definitely try it out.Looks delicious. THANKS SO MUCH

    Reply

  4. Julia says

    Whatever fish is being used, is added raw correct? Or do you cook your fish first? This sounds yummy and I’m looking forward to trying it!

    Reply

    • Sheena Strain says

      Hi Julia, yes, you use uncooked fish as it will cook in the oven when you bake it in the sauce, I hope that helps!

      Reply

  5. Christina says

    Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (8)
    This was such a great recipe, thank you!!

    Reply

Fish Pie Recipe you'll love! (2024)

FAQs

Why does my fish pie go watery? ›

Creamy Fish Pie Recipe FAQs

Serve this with some simple greens, like peas, green beans or broccoli. Why does fish pie sometimes go watery? This can often happen when your mashed potatoes are too soft to start with. They need to be left a little thicker than normal.

What is fish pie sauce made of? ›

Make the sauce. Melt 50g butter in a pan, stir in 50g plain 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.

How long will homemade fish pie keep in the fridge? ›

"You can either reserve the fish pie in the fridge where it will keep until the next day for you to bake or cling film well and place into the freezer until required." "Use whatever fish you prefer, such as salmon or prawns, or use your choice of herbs to finish the sauce."

What country did fish pie originate from? ›

Britain

How do I stop the bottom of my pie being soggy? ›

Often, blind-baking solves this problem. If you're making a single crust custard-filled pie, like a pumpkin pie, bake the pie dough first before adding filling to allow some of the moisture in the crust to evaporate. You can also totally blind-bake fruit pies.

Why can't you reheat fish pie? ›

The fish will be dryer when reheated but it should still taste good. It's important the cooked fish pie is cooled as quickly as possible then covered and refrigerated overnight. Then when you reheat it must be until it is piping hot throughout.

What is the difference between fish pie and fisherman's pie? ›

Both of these are topped with mashed potatoes. There are 2 types of fish pie. The first has a pastry case and is called a Fish Pie, the second is made the same way as shepherd's pie and is called a Fisherman's Pie.

What three ingredients should fish sauce contain? ›

Traditionally, oily fish such as anchovies are placed in a barrel with salt and slowly pressed to extract the liquid. Anchovies are often used, although some fish sauces are also made from shrimp, krill, or mackerel. The basic ingredients of a good fish sauce are fish, water, and salt.

Can you buy a sauce for fish pie? ›

Schwartz Fish Pie Wet Sauce For Fish 300G - Tesco Groceries.

Can you eat fish pie left out overnight? ›

Absolutely not! If it has prawns in it then you would mad to eat it! The food needs to have been quickly chilled after cooking for it to be safe, a long slow decrease in heat is the best breeding ground for bacteria.

Can I freeze leftover fish pie? ›

Cover with a lid or a double layer of foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

What is admirals pie? ›

Description. Pieces of Alaska Pollock Fillet in a Butter Sauce, Topped with Partially Reconstituted Mashed Potato and Cheddar Cheese. Fish fillet pieces in a creamy butter sauce, topped with mash & cheddar cheese. 290 Calories Per Pie. No Artificial Colours, Flavours or Preservatives.

What is the Russian fish pie called? ›

A coulibiac (Russian: кулебяка, romanized: kulebyaka) is a type of pirog usually filled with salmon or sturgeon, rice or buckwheat, hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, onions, and dill. The pie is baked in a pastry shell, usually of brioche or puff pastry.

Why did my pie turn out watery? ›

Allow your pie to bake for the entire recommended period.

People often pull their pie too soon out of fear that it will burn. This leads to runny pie because it prevents the filling from thickening. Check the recommended cooking time, and set a timer. Don't use the brownness of your pie crust to judge if it is done.

How do you make fish not watery? ›

#1 Tip for Cooking Seafood

Always pat seafood dry with a paper towel or clean tea towel before cooking. Soaking up water on the outside can prevent fish from having a mushy texture. Most of all, it helps shrimp, scallops, and fish get nice and crispy.

How do you keep baked fish from getting soggy? ›

Pat dry with paper towels whether you rinse or not. Preheat the oven to 450°F for fillets and steaks or 350°F for dressed fish. Even thickness: Place the fish in a single layer in a greased shallow baking pan (like a baking sheet). For fillets, tuck under any thin edges so they don't cook faster than thicker areas.

How do you keep pies from weeping? ›

More Tips to Stop Meringue from Weeping

Make meringue pie on dry, low-humidity days. Don't overbake your meringue! Overbaking causes the egg whites to shrink and squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Always make sure to check on your pie at the minimum baking time.

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