This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (2024)

It's Also Known as Fisherman's Pie for a Reason

By

Elaine Lemm

This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (1)

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 02/22/24

Tested by

Diana Rattray

This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (2)

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total: 65 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Yield: 1 baking dish

184 ratings

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If you love the comfort of classic British dishes like shepherd's pie or beef and Guinness pie, but want a dish that feels just a tad lighter, consider the fish pie. Also known as a fisherman's pie, this one-pot supper dish that is both easy to prepare and economical to cook with impressive results that make it dinner party-worthy.

British Fish Pie: Comfort on a Budget

The filling calls for using a combination of fish, so feel free to go with whatever you have on hand, or ask your fishmonger for a selection of fish scraps (usually, they will charge you less than the market price).

The fish is poached in a fish stock-milk mixture, combined with cooked leeks and parsley, then topped with a fluffy layer of mashed potatoes before baking until golden brown. Sprinkle on grated cheese for added richness. Serve the fish pie with peas or other fresh greens for a complete meal.

Tips for Making the Best Fish Pie

  • It's best to use fresh, seasonal fish whenever possible, but frozen is fine as long as you defrost it first. Using fish that isn't properly defrosted can lead to a watery fish pie.
  • Choose non-oily, fleshy fish such as salmon, cod, smoked haddock, and coley (aka pollock), which is similar to cod.
  • Either buy one type of fish or mix different fish, even shrimp or prawns, together.
  • Bake the pie in a 2-quart to 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
  • A homemade fish stock will give you the best flavor, but if you're in a time crunch, store-bought seafood stock works, too.
  • This is a great dish for using up leftover mashed potatoes!

What Wine Goes With British Fish Pie?

Choose a smooth, dry white wine. Unoaked chardonnay, chenin blanc, pinot gris, and sauvignon blanc are all good options. If you prefer a red wine, choose pinot noir or Beaujolais.

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What You'll Need to Make This Fish Pie Recipe

"The fish pie was an easy preparation. All you need is some prepared mashed potatoes and the fish and sauce filling. My fish broth had some salt, so I only added about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Very tasty and made a nice meal with a salad." —Diana Rattray

This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (8)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fish stock

  • 1 cup milk

  • 12 ouncesfish, skin and bones removed, cut into bite-sized chunks

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1 medium leek, white part only, washed thoroughly and finely sliced

  • 2 ounces all purpose flour (a little less than 1/2 cup)

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

  • Salt, to taste

  • Dash ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 5 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (warm and creamy)

  • A handful of grated cheddar cheese, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 355 F/180 C.

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  2. Pour the fish stock and milk into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (10)

  3. Add the fish pieces and bay leaf and poach for 5 minutes.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (11)

  4. Remove the fish pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the liquid in the pot.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (12)

  5. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced leek and cook for 5 minutes until the leek is soft.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (13)

  6. While still hot, add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (14)

  7. Pour the fish poaching liquidinto the pan and stir again. Raise the temperature and cook for 3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.

    This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (15)

  8. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and add the poached fish and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

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  9. Spoon the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and fluff themup with a fork. For a more professional look, you can pipe the mashed potatoes using a piping bagwith a large nozzle.

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  10. Sprinkle with the grated cheese if using.

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  11. Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook in the centerof the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling beneath the potatoes. Serve immediately and enjoy.

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Recipe Variations

  • Give the pie a little crunch with a final sprinkling of crushed potato chips or panko crumbs.
  • Add extra flavor to the sauce with some chopped fresh dill or chives, or add a grating of nutmeg.
  • Boiled eggs are often added to fish pie. Chop 3 or 4 peeled, hard-boiled. Sprinkle the chopped eggs over the sauce mixture just before topping with the mashed potatoes.
  • A bit of wine can add complex flavor to the sauce. Just before adding the poaching liquid to the leek mixture, add about 1/3 cup of dry white wine.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Refrigerate leftover fish pie in a covered container for up to 3 days.
  • The whole pie or leftover pie may be frozen in the baking dish or another container. To freeze the pie, cover the baking dish or container tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Defrost the frozen fish pie in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the pie with foil and bake it in a preheated 375 F oven for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
638Calories
28g Fat
65g Carbs
33g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories638
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g36%
Saturated Fat 11g55%
Cholesterol 87mg29%
Sodium 1280mg56%
Total Carbohydrate 65g24%
Dietary Fiber 5g18%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 33mg165%
Calcium 164mg13%
Iron 2mg14%
Potassium 1485mg32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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This Creamy British Fish Pie Is Comfort on a Budget (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for double cream in fish pie? ›

The Best Heavy Cream Substitutes
  1. Half-and-Half and Butter. A combination of half-and-half and butter makes the best all-around heavy cream substitute. ...
  2. Milk and Butter. ...
  3. Evaporated Milk. ...
  4. Coconut Cream. ...
  5. Cream Cheese. ...
  6. Greek Yogurt and Milk. ...
  7. Soy Milk and Olive Oil.
Mar 30, 2022

What is fish pie made of? ›

The pie is usually made with fresh and smoked fish (for example, cod, haddock, salmon or halibut) or seafood in a white sauce or cheddar cheese sauce made using the milk the fish was poached in. Hard-boiled eggs are a common additional ingredient. Parsley or chives are sometimes added to the sauce.

Can you freeze leftover fish pie? ›

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

What is a substitute for double cream in the UK? ›

Depending on what you're making, one of the whipping or heavy cream substitutes below should work for you.
  • Butter and Whole Milk. You can make a pretty good version of heavy cream by combining butter and whole milk. ...
  • Coconut Milk. ...
  • Light Cream. ...
  • Half and Half. ...
  • Sour Cream. ...
  • Yogurt. ...
  • Evaporated Milk.
Dec 2, 2020

What is the American version of double cream? ›

What Is Light Cream? The British use double cream in recipes the way we use heavy cream or whipping cream here in the US, but they also allow it to accompany dessert the way we might use ice cream.

Can you eat homemade fish pie the next day? ›

Fish Pie Leftovers

In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat fully in the microwave or oven until piping hot before serving. In the freezer This recipe freezes well. I tend to make it all up to the point where you put it in the oven and then freeze.

How long will fish pie keep in the fridge? ›

Cooked fish and other seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. Refrigeration slows but does not prevent bacterial growth.

Should you defrost fish pie before cooking? ›

You can cook from frozen and allow an additional 15 – 20 minutes cooking time. The temperature will be 180C in a fan oven. If I do this I set the timer for 15 minutes and then use a skewer to check if the pie has defrosted and then set the timer for 30 minutes. It may need a further 10 minutes.

Can I make my own double cream? ›

Homemade double cream. In a large pot over medium-low heat, bring the milk to a soft boil until it turns foamy. Collect the fats rising to the top with a slotted spoon and transfer into a clean airtight container. Allow to rest in the fridge for about a day, so that the cream can set.

Can I use sour cream instead of double cream? ›

Sour cream has a high enough fat content—about 20%—to make it a good substitute for heavy cream in some savory recipes, such as soups or chili. However, while some chefs swear that sour cream is a key ingredient for a killer whipped cream, it generally can't be used on it's own to make whipped cream.

Are heavy cream and double cream the same? ›

Heavy cream is an American term which refers to cream with 36 per cent (or more) fat. The equivalent in New Zealand is the regular fresh cream sold in supermarkets. Double cream has a higher fat content – around 48-50 per cent, and it's not commonly available here.

What is the recipe for cream substitute? ›

If you have butter and milk (whole milk or even half-and-half work best), you can make your own heavy cream substitute. To make 1 cup of “heavy cream,” melt 1/4 cup of butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup milk. When to use: Works in most baking and savory recipes. Note that this alternative won't whisk into stiff peaks.

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