Classic Fish Pie Recipe

Name: Classic Fish Pie Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes; 20 g butter; Splash of milk; 20 g butter; 1 onion finely chopped; 1 garlic clove finely chopped; 30 g plain flour; 400 ml semi skimmed milk; 50 g cheddar cheese; 280 g cod cut into bite size chunks; 140 g smoked haddock cut into bite size chunks; 140 g salmon cut into bite size chunks; 50 g baby spinach leaves

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A warm and comforting classic fish pie recipe. Made with chunks of salmon, cod and smoked haddock cooked in a creamy sauce with crisp mash topping. A really easy pie recipe that can be rustled up in just over an hour. Great for any night of the week.

Large shallow casserole dish containing mash topped classic fish pie, baked until crisp and golden brown.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Step by step instructions
💭 Expert tips
❓ Frequently asked questions
🦐 Other fish recipes
📖 Recipe

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

When its cold out, this classic fish pie recipe will warm you through and leave you ready to face the elements the next day. Its also a pretty good dish for a cosy Saturday night in. Lock out the cold and get this pie in the oven!! Simple, easy and delightful. The classic dishes are always the best.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this classic fish pie recipe at home you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Diced fish: For this recipe I used a mixture of salmon, cod and smoked haddock. However, feel free to choose your preferred fish. Or even swap some of the fish for prawns. You may also find that your local fish monger or supermarket offers a ready diced fish pie selection. This may work out cheaper than buying separated pieces of fish.

Milk: Semi skimmed milk (2%) is used in this recipe but for a richer flavour you can use whole milk. I don't recommend using skimmed milk which lacks the fat required for a smooth and silky sauce.

Flour: Use plain or all purpose flour as the thickening agent for the sauce.

Cheese: The cheddar cheese is melted into the sauce before mixing in the fish. If preferred you can leave out the cheese and just use a white sauce. Alternatively, swap cheddar for a different cheese to create your preferred flavour.

Baby spinach: This is optional and can be left out if preferred or swapped for another green veg such as garden peas, asparagus or tenderstem broccoli.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Peel the potatoes and roughly chop into cubes. Add to a large pan, cover with water and cook on medium heat for around 40 minutes or until soft. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Meanwhile, take a medium pan and cook the onions and garlic in butter until soft.
Add the flour and stir in, the mixture should clump slightly and turn to a paste.
On low-medium heat, add around ⅕ of the milk to the onions and flour, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken. See tip below.
As the mixture thickens add another helping of milk. Heat and stir until it thickens again and then continue until all the milk has been added.
Next take the sauce off the heat and stir in the cheese.
Add the chopped, raw fish to the cheese sauce and mix in carefully.
Add the spinach leaves and stir in.
Transfer the fish pie mix to an ovenproof dish
Drain the cooked potatoes, add the milk and butter and mash. Spoon the mash potato over the top of the fish pie mix then use the back of a spoon to spread evenly to the edges of the dish.
Use a fork to mark and ruffle up the surface of the mash potato.
Place in the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a scattering of freshly chopped parsley leaves.

💭 Expert tips

Sauce: When making the fish pie sauce try to keep the heat on medium-low. Heating too quickly can curdle the mixture. If the mixture does start to curdle remove from the heat momentarily and stir rapidly.

Recipe suggestion: If you're after an extra indulgent twist, dot the mash with extra butter and grate over extra cheese before baking in the oven.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can you make this recipe ahead of time?

Make this recipe up to just before the pie goes into the oven. At this point the pie can be covered and stored in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to cook it. Note: If you intend to freeze the uncooked pie make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and suitable for freezing.

When you are ready to cook, remove from the fridge and leave on the side for a hour or so to bring to room temperature. Or defrost overnight. Then cook in the oven as per the recipe instructions.

What if my fish has skin on?

If you choose to buy whole fillets of fish for this recipe then you may find that your fillets have skin on. Skinning a fish is quite easy if you use the right method and knife. The best knife to use is a sharp, flexible fish knife.

Place the fish on a board skin side down. To remove the skin use the knife with the blade facing away from you. slightly peel back the skin from one corner, then place the blade between the fish and its skin and hold onto the skin with your other hand. Keep the skin and the side of the blade flat to the board and work along the fillet with the knife. Press the side off the blade downwards into the board as well as moving it across.

What to serve with fish pie?

Green vegetables, like green bean almondine, broccoli or peas make the perfect accompaniment to this creamy fish pie. However, if you were to make this fish pie with a pastry topping you could add a side of mash potato, Foil Pack Potatoes or even honey glazed carrots and parsnips.

For a dessert how about homemade Bakewell tart or for something lighter a loaf of freshly baked banana bread.

Can you reheat this recipe once cooked?

Although the fish pie will never be as good as the day you make it fresh, you can safely store and reheat it. Note that this is assumed that the fish you use is as fresh as possible. Make sure your fish pie is fully cooled before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 3 days. To to reheat place in an oven proof dish, cover with foil and warm in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes and check its piping hot throughout. Alternatively, transfer to a microwavable container and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes until piping hot throughout,

Can you freeze leftover fish pie?

Make sure the fish pie is fully cooled then transfer to a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat simply remove the fish pie from the freezer and completely defrost before cooking in the oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees C. You should cover the pie with foil to prevent the top from crisping up too much as you are cooking it a second time. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to finish, check the pie is hot throughout and enjoy.