Classic British comfort food at its best, this easy recipe for Fish Pie will have your family asking for seconds and thirds!
A straightforward yet delicious savory seafood stew is topped with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown.
If you enjoy hearty casserole dishes like Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie, you are going to love this delicious seafood version: The classic British Fish Pie!
Tender pieces of fish and juicy shrimp are layered with a silky, creamy sauce and topped with fluffy mashed potatoes to make this amazing baked casserole.
This is one of my favorite British dishes, and I love to serve it with a simple side dish of buttered steamed peas.
British Fish Pie Recipe Highlights
- A Delicious, Classic British Recipe – Fish pie, aka Fisherman’s Pie is a lighter version of a meaty shepherd’s pie or cottage pie. It’s one of my favorite British dishes, and total comfort food for any seafood lover.
- Great for Making Ahead – You can easily prepare this casserole and keep it in the fridge for a day or two before baking it. Once baked, fish pie also freezes very well in portions.
- Versatile Recipe – Feel free to switch up the type of fish or seafood in this savory pie, or add additional veggies to it. There are many ways to make a traditional British fish pie, and this is only the beginning!
- Step by Step Instructions – This recipe isn’t very difficult, but there are quite a few steps to follow if you want to do it right. Follow along with the photos below for all of the details.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy fish pie recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Fish: In the UK you can find “fish mix” in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. This is usually a mix of salmon, cod, and smoked haddock. If this isn’t available to you, any mix of fish pieces, either fresh or frozen will work wonderfully in this recipe.
- Shrimp: I like to add shrimp to make my fisherman’s pie a bit more special. You can also try it with scallops, lobster, or crab.
- Potatoes: The topping for this casserole is made of fluffy homemade mashed potatoes. Use Yukon Gold or Russets in the US, or Maris Piper in the UK.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar makes the mashed potato topping extra yummy!
- Milk: The base of this dish is a rich and creamy seafood stew. The fish and shrimp will be poached in a flavorful milk mixture so that they stay moist and juicy during baking.
- Seasonings: Keep it simple here! You’ll need garlic, an onion, two bay leaves, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg.
How To Make A Fish Pie
This recipe is made in three parts. Make the mashed potato topping, then poach the fish and create the creamy sauce. Finally, assemble your fish pie and bake it to golden brown perfection!
- Boil Potatoes: Add potatoes to a pot of water, add salt, and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Mash: Drain the potatoes, then mash them well with butter until there are no lumps.
- Add Milk: Stir in the milk until it’s well combined.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the mashed potatoes and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Poach the Fish: Cook the fish with milk, onion, and bay leaves, simmering gently for about 7 minutes.
- Add the Shrimp: During the last minute of poaching, add the shrimp, and cook for one minute. Remove the seafood and milk, and reserve the milk for making the sauce.
- Create a Roux: In that same pan, melt butter and saute the garlic. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Make the Sauce: Gradually whisk in the milk that you poached the fish in earlier, and cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in parsley, black pepper, and nutmeg.
Tip!
Short on time? You can skip the poaching step and add the raw seafood directly to the baking dish. On the other hand, The benefit of poaching the fish is that the milk for the sauce gets infused with the delicious seafood flavor!
- Assemble, starting with the Fish: Add the cooked fish pieces and shrimp to the bottom of your casserole dish.
- Then the Sauce: Cover the seafood evenly with the cream sauce.
- Add the Potato Topping: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, spreading them out to cover the dish completely. Use a fork to create texture.
- Bake: Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh or thawed fish. Frozen seafood won’t poach properly, so if you’re using frozen fish, be sure to thaw it first.
- Add veggies. For more texture and flavor, you can saute finely diced carrot, celery, or shallot in butter before adding the garlic to the pan.
- Choose your baking dish. This recipe works best in a casserole dish that is 2-3 quarts. A 13×9-inch (33×23 cm) rectangular baking dish works perfectly, or make it in your favorite baker.
- Use leftovers. If you have leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal or a holiday, they can be used to top this casserole rather than making new ones from scratch.
- Cook the sauce until it thickens. It won’t thicken any further in the oven, so be sure that it’s nice and thick before you assemble the casserole.
- Add texture to the top. Using a fork to add a design to the potatoes is a pretty decorative touch, but it’s also very functional! All of those nooks and crannies on top will get brown and crispy in the oven.
Storing Tips
- Make Ahead: Assemble the fish pie and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking it!
- Leftovers: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I find it easiest to reheat individual servings gently in the microwave.
- Freezing: Individual servings of fish pie also freeze really well! Keep them for up to 3 months in the freezer, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What To Serve With Fish Pie
I just love serving fish pie with a side of buttered peas! I use a bag of frozen peas, steam them in the microwave, and then add salted butter. Yummy, and so easy!
You might also enjoy it with green beans or roasted broccoli.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make fish pie with canned fish?
I recommend that you make this recipe with fresh or frozen fish, but canned fish can be an economical option as well. Look for high quality canned tuna or salmon that is canned in large pieces. Skip the poaching step. Just add the canned fish to the pan, cover with sauce and potatoes, and bake!
What kind of fish goes in Fisherman’s Pie?
You can choose any type of fish for this recipe, and you can choose to use just one kind, or a mix of different kinds of fish. Good options include salmon, haddock, and cod. Other seafood, such as shrimp or prawns are also delicious in this recipe.
What if I can’t find smoked fish?
The smoked haddock that is included in British “fish mix” gives this dish a very nice flavor, but you don’t have to go out of you way to find it. Regular, unsmoked fish pieces will work just fine.
How do I make this gluten free?
Instead of thickening the sauce with a flour based roux, you can use a cornstarch slurry. Mix ¼ cup cornstarch with the same amount of the poaching milk, then stir it into the sauce and cook until it thickens.
Enjoy making one of my favorite British classics! You’ll want to save this Fish Pie recipe (Pin it!), because it’s sure to become a new family favorite.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Fish Pie
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Potatoes:
- 2 pounds (900 g) potatoes peeled and cut into chunks – Yukon Gold or Russets in the US, in the UK use Maris Piper
- 3 tablespoons (39 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk whole or 2%
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (84 g) shredded sharp cheddar extra mature cheddar
Seafood:
- 1 pound (450 g) mixed fish skin off
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml) milk whole or 2%
- 8 ounces (225 g) shrimp peeled, and deveined, tails off
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons (39 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
- Milk from above – poaching liquid
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly grated
Instructions
Make Mashed Potatoes:
- Add potato chunks to a large pot, cover with water, and add salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Drain potatoes well, then return to the pot. Add the butter and mash until smooth.
- Stir in the milk and salt, taste and adjust seasonings to your preference and set aside.
Poach Seafood:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C for a fan oven.
- Add fish to a saucepan or skillet, followed by an onion, bay leaves, salt, and cover with milk.
- Turn on the heat to low, and allow the fish to very gently simmer for 7 minutes.
- In the last minute of poaching add the shrimp, and cook for one minute.
- Remove all seafood from the poaching liquid to a casserole dish, discarding bay leaves and onion. Strain milk into a cup to use the same vessel to make the sauce.
Make Sauce:
- Melt butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in flour to create a roux, cooking for 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in milk (poaching liquid), avoiding lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens (2-3 minutes).
- Stir in chopped parsley, black pepper and nutmeg. Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning if desired. Make sure that the sauce is thick as it won’t thicken further when it’s cooked in the oven.
Assemble and Bake:
- Pour the sauce over the seafood in the casserole dish, and gently spread it if needed.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, spreading them out with a spatula to cover the mixture completely. Use a fork to create a pattern/rough edges. Sprinkle cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes then garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives and serve.
Notes:
- Short on time? You can skip the poaching step and add the raw seafood directly to the baking dish. On the other hand, The benefit of poaching the fish is that the milk for the sauce gets infused with the delicious seafood flavor!
- Use fresh or thawed fish. Frozen seafood won’t poach properly, so if you’re using frozen fish, be sure to thaw it first.
- Add veggies. You can saute finely diced carrot, celery, or shallot in butter before adding the garlic to the pan for more texture and flavor.
- Choose your baking dish. This recipe works best in a casserole dish that is 2-3 quarts. A 13×9-inch (33×23 cm) rectangular baking dish works perfectly, or make it in your favorite baker.
- Use leftovers. If you have leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal or a holiday, they can be used to top this casserole rather than making new ones from scratch.
- Cook the sauce until it thickens. It won’t thicken any further in the oven, so be sure that it’s nice and thick before you assemble the casserole.
- Add texture to the top. Using a fork to add a design to the potatoes is a pretty decorative touch, but it’s also very functional! All of those nooks and crannies on top will get brown and crispy in the oven.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Kathy Boot says
Very tasty recipe
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the fish pie!