Classic Fish Pie Recipe (2024)

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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.

Classic Fish Pie Recipe (1)

Jump to:
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 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:

Classic Fish Pie Recipe (2)

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

  1. 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.
  2. Meanwhile, take a medium pan and cook the onions and garlic in butter until soft.

  3. Add the flour and stir in, the mixture should clump slightly and turn to a paste.

  4. 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.Classic Fish Pie Recipe (3)

  5. 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.
  6. Next take the sauce off the heat and stir in the cheese.

  7. Add the chopped, raw fish to the cheese sauce and mix in carefully.

  8. Add the spinach leaves and stir in.Classic Fish Pie Recipe (4)

  9. Transfer the fish pie mix to an ovenproof dish

  10. 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.
  11. Use a fork to mark and ruffle up the surface of the mash potato.
  12. Place in the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a scattering of freshly chopped parsley leaves.Classic Fish Pie Recipe (5)

💭 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.Classic Fish Pie Recipe (6)

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.

Classic Fish Pie Recipe (7)

🦐 Other fish recipes

  • Salmon Pasta Recipe
  • Frozen Salmon Traybake
  • Chinese Prawns Recipe
  • Salmon and Prawn Linguine
  • Haddock and Rosemary Risotto
  • Honey Glazed Prawns Starter
  • Kedgeree with Poached Eggs
  • Salmon and Mackerel Fishcakes

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below.I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Classic Fish Pie Recipe (8)

Classic Fish Pie Recipe

By: Debbie Jones

A warm and comforting classic fish pie recipe. Made with chunks of salmon, cod and smoked haddock 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.

4.38 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine British

Servings 4 people

Calories 562 kcal

Equipment

  • Flexible fish knife for skinning fish (if necessary)

  • Large pan for potatoes

  • Medium pan for filling

  • Masher

  • Large ovenproof dish

Ingredients

For the mash topping

  • 1 kg potatoes
  • 20 g butter
  • Splash of milk

For the filling

  • 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

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25pie | Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 1955mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1733IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 4mg

Notes

Sauce tip: 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.

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.Classic Fish Pie Recipe (9)

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. 


More Fish Recipes

  • Chilli Garlic Prawns Starter
  • Smoked Haddock Risotto
  • Thai Green Prawn Curry
  • Salmon Pasta Recipe
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Corina Blum

    This looks so creamy and delicious and I love the idea of the florets of cauliflower on the top rather than mashed up with the mash. Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x

    Reply

  2. Monika

    This is a lovely dish, full of warmth and goodness and I love the addition of the cauliflower! I am looking up Swinton Hotel right now! I need a deal too:) thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare

    Reply

    • Debbie

      Thanks Monika!! Highly recommend swinton!! Check secret escapes for deals!! X

      Reply

  3. Christine

    HI Debbie, I noticed in the list of filling ingredients that haddock is listed twice, is that right ?

    Reply

    • Debbie

      Hi Christine!! oooh no thats not right!! Thanks so much for letting me know, I'll correct it now 🙂

      Reply

Classic Fish Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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.

Why do you put eggs in fish pie? ›

Each ingredient plays a role in making the most unctuous dish. Adding prawns alongside the poached fish provides a sweet, seafood surprise, a good grating of nutmeg in the sauce punches extra flavour and enriching the mashed potato with egg yolk is a great tip for both taste and finish.

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.

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 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 sauce for fish pie? ›

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

What does fish pie mix contain? ›

Our fish pie mix is a combination of fresh Monkfish, Smoked Pollack, Whiting and Ling, quick frozen the same day to ensure the highest quality.

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.

Why does my fish pie curdle? ›

Usually semi-skimmed (reduced fat) milk with a fat content of 2% also stays smooth in this type of dish. If, however, you have used skimmed (non-fat) milk or the type that only has 1% fat, then the sauce can curdle as the water content is so high. Otherwise we wonder if the pie is being slightly overheated.

What to eat with fish pie? ›

Serve with some nice peas or greens, not forgetting your baked beans and tomato ketchup. Tacky but tasty, and that's what I like.

Can you leave fish pie out overnight? ›

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."

What temperature should fish pie be when cooked? ›

Cooking the pie: Pre-heat your oven to 175 C. Bake the pie for at least 35 to 40 minutes, turning the oven down if the pastry starts to get too brown. The core temperature will need to be at least 75 C. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly before serving.

Can I eat a fish pie 3 days out of date? ›

Mate the amount for preservatives in that muck and the built in safety factor around Use By dates mean that I would be perfectly happy eating that 3 days after date on the label. Also cooked fish is not a particularly dangerous food stuff (compared to raw).

How to tell if fish pie is off? ›

If it smells overly fishy then maybe give it a miss. Yep, that should be fine, provided it was fairly promptly refrigerated after cooking and is properly reheated. It'll be a-okay.

Can I freeze home made fish pie? ›

To freeze. Cool the assembled pie completely without baking. Cover with a lid or a double layer of foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

What is fish sauce usually made of? ›

Most modern fish sauces contain only fish and salt, usually made from anchovy, shrimp, mackerel, or other strong-flavored, high oil fish. Some variants add herbs and spices. For modern fish sauces, fish or shellfish are mixed with salt at a concentration of 10% to 30%.

What the heck is fish sauce? ›

Wait, what is fish sauce? It's a fermented condiment typically made from anchovies that's glorious umami razzle-dazzle in a bottle.

Is fish sauce in all Chinese food? ›

While it's used in some Chinese dishes, fish sauce is an essential ingredient for many Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian dishes. We love using it in our cooking! In this article, we'll talk about what it is, how to use it, what to buy, and how to store it.

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