AI-generated image
English fish pie
Smoked haddock, white fish and prawns in parsley sauce under mash
BritishFish pie is a Friday supper and a family favourite from the Kent coast to Devon, where fishmongers sell a ready-cut 'fish pie mix' for it. Chunks of white fish, smoked haddock and prawns are baked in a creamy parsley sauce under a thick crust of buttery mash, so it is mild, comforting and very filling. Chef's tip: don't pre-cook the fish; it finishes in the oven and stays in big, juicy flakes.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Boil the 2 ⅝ lb potatoes for 18 minutes until soft, then mash with a third of the 1 oz butter and 100 ml of the ½ cup milk.
22 minStep 2: Spread the 14 oz skinless white fish (cod, pollock or hake), 9 oz skinless smoked haddock and 5 ½ oz raw peeled prawns in a 2 litre baking dish.
3 minStep 3: Melt the rest of the 2 ⅛ oz butter, stir in the 1 ⅜ oz plain flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the rest of the 2 cups milk and simmer 4 minutes, whisking, until smooth and thick. Off the heat add the 4 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp English mustard, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper.
8 minStep 4: Pour the sauce over the fish and cool for 10 minutes so the mash sits on top instead of sinking.
10 minStep 5: Spoon the mash over, fluff with a fork and scatter with 1 ⅜ oz cheddar. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and bubbling at the edges.
33 minStep 6: The fish is cooked when a piece in the centre is opaque and flakes easily and the prawns are pink. A common mistake is serving at once; rest 5 minutes so the sauce settles.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does english fish pie take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Singapore chilli crab
Chilli crab was first sold from a pushcart on the Kallang river in the 1950s and is now the dish visitors queue for along Singapore's East Coast seafood strip. Big mud crabs are cut up, wok-fried and simmered in a thick, sweet, tangy and gently hot sauce of chilli, tomato and garlic, which is then silked with beaten egg. Everyone eats with their hands and mops up the sauce with fried or steamed mantou buns. It is a weekend or celebration meal, messy and loud. Buy crabs live or freshly cooked the same day from a fishmonger you trust. Discard any live crab that doesn't move, smells of ammonia or has a cracked, leaking shell. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the egg, which scrambles it into lumps; pour it in a thin stream over a low heat. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crab for you, and crack each claw lightly with the back of a cleaver so the sauce soaks in.
Singaporean
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
Orkney clapshot
Clapshot is the Orkney way with neeps and tatties: equal amounts of swede and potato mashed together with butter, chives and plenty of pepper, rather than served side by side. Islanders eat it with oatcakes and cheese, with mince, or alongside haggis on Burns Night. It is sweet, earthy and soft-orange. Chef's tip: dry the boiled vegetables in the hot pan before mashing, or the swede makes it watery.
