ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Make the Tastiest Fish Pie

Updated on August 30, 2017

Making a Fabulous Fish Pie Fit For a Feast!

If you've never tasted a good fish pie before, I have the best recipe in the world for you. Using good, fresh ingredients are the key to any recipe, none more so than this one.

So, potter off down to your local fish monger, fish merchant or fish supplier and get the ingredients for this fabulous fish pie, then we'll start. Oh, and don't forget some good potatoes for the topping. I'm sure you'll find the rest of the ingredients in your kitchen.

This dish has been a family favorite for years and years it never fails to please. Therefore, imminently I'm going to rustle up the best and tastiest fish pie ever to fondle your palate and fuel a feast fit for a Pharoah - and his queen - and I suppose his subjects too!

One last thing, it's official that eating oily fish at least once a week increases brainpower, so get the fishing rod out and what are you waiting for?

Created on 27 March 2013

All photos © Rob Hemphill

A Love of Fish Was Born

By living near the sea

I first came across this fish pie recipe in Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course book more than 25 years ago. Having tweaked it a bit here and there over time, especially when I didn't always have the right ingredients, this is the recipe I now use most of the time.

The original recipe only includes white fish; however, I've found that having a small amount of salmon in it, actually adds some extra flavor and color.

We are lucky to get very fresh fish all the time due to our close coastal proximity. Saying that, it has been known for us to wander down to the local fisherman's hut, where they prepare and sell the fish from, to collect a large cod wrapped in newspaper. And this cod was still flapping! The fisherman explained to us, "Leave it for a day or two it's too fresh."

cornish coast
cornish coast

The rugged coastline off Cornwall in the south west of England.

fish pie
fish pie

Any white fish, such as haddock, cod or whiting can be used for this delicious recipe. I've even used some salmon in this particular recipe.

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hour 20 min
Ready in: 1 hour 40 min
Yields: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb white fish and salmon (700 g) - (1/3rd salmon and 2/3rds white fish)
  • 1 pint milk (570 ml)
  • 4 oz butter (110 g)
  • 2 oz plain flour (50 g)
  • 4 oz peeled prawns (110 g)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs - roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers - drained
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ~~~~For the topping ~~~~
  • 2 lb freshly boiled potatoes (900 g)
  • 2 oz butter (50 g)
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • a little freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 oz mature Cheddar cheese (25 g) - grated

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).
  2. 1. Begin by arranging the fish in a baking tray and seasoning it well with salt & pepper.
  3. 2. Then pour over half of the milk and put flecks of butter 4 oz (25 g) over the fish. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
  4. 3. Next pour off (and save for use later) the cooking liquid and remove the skin from the fish. Flake the flesh into average size pieces.
  5. 4. Now make the sauce: Melt the remaining 3 oz (35 g) butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and gradually and add the saved fish cooking liquid - stirring well after each addition. Once all the liquid is in, finish off the sauce by slowly adding the milk and seasoning with salt and pepper.
  6. 5. Next mix the fish into the sauce, along with the hard-boiled eggs, prawns, capers and parsley (now taste to see if any more seasoning is required), then stir in the lemon juice. Now pour in the whole mixture into a well-buttered 2 1/2 pint (1.5 liter) baking dish.
  7. 6. Mash the cooked potatoes with milk and butter, season with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg. Spread the mixture evenly over the fish. Smooth the surface of the potato and with a fork level off while leaving a pattern in rows.
  8. 7. Sprinkle the cheese all over the potato then bake on a high heat for around 30-40 minutes, or till heated and browned.
  9. 8. Garnish with some parsley.
  10. Recipe based on Delia Smith's Fisherman's Pie: Delia Smith Online
Cast your vote for Fish Pie Recipe

Oven Ready

cooking fish
cooking fish

The fish is all seasoned with the flecks of butter on, and it's now ready to go into the oven.

Before The Potato Topping Goes On

fish pie
fish pie

The secret to a good fish pie is obviously having really good fresh fish and also making sure the fish is not over cooked and remains moist and succulent. Adding the white sauce keeps the whole dish together. What you don't want is to leave the dish in the oven too long so as to dry everything out.

North Atlantic salmon has the most wonderful loose texture so doesn't appear too dense - all this ensures that you will end up with a fabulous fish dish.

Fish Or Meat?

Do you think that eating fish or meat is better for you?

Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course

Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course, The Classic Edition
Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course, The Classic Edition
When I first started cooking, Delia Smith was the name of the time, her straight forward approach and exciting recipes made this book the one favorite most people would have. I've worked my way through dozens of her recipes, from meat balls and stews to roasts and fish pies, not to mention all those gorgeous desserts. Her marmalade recipe is another that never fails.
 

A Fish's Journey - The coast, harbour and kitchen

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Seagulls awaiting scrapsFishing boatIngredients for my fish pieGood quality Irish potatoesMaking the rouxWings of flightFinished fish pieA nice red wineA glass or two or...The beautiful Cornish coastline
Seagulls awaiting scraps
Seagulls awaiting scraps
Fishing boat
Fishing boat
Ingredients for my fish pie
Ingredients for my fish pie
Good quality Irish potatoes
Good quality Irish potatoes
Making the roux
Making the roux
Wings of flight
Wings of flight
Finished fish pie
Finished fish pie
A nice red wine
A nice red wine
A glass or two or...
A glass or two or...
The beautiful Cornish coastline
The beautiful Cornish coastline
mackerel
mackerel

Eat Oily Fish and Boost Brainpower

Yes, it's official.

It really is true that eating oily fish can boost brainpower. BBC Science have researched this and have published an article entitled The Omega Wave which explains atrial they have undertaken to prove the point.

It has been shown that these oils, or polyunsaturated fatty acids as they are better known, are beneficial to our heart and brain function, as well as our overall well-being. Oily fish is especially rich in omega 3 fats in its natural form which makes it readily available for the body to use easily.

What fish are high in Omega 3?

Mackerel

Herring

Sardines

Trout

Salmon

Kippers

What is it about oily fish?

The body is unable to make essential fatty acids so these have to obtained through diet. The best sources for these are the following foods:

linseed oil

soya beans and soya bean oil

pumpkin seeds

walnut oil

There are two types of fatty acids high in omega 3:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Lower levels of DHA in the body have been associated to having a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as well as memory loss.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Waiting For the Tide

"Omega 3s can improve brain function at the very simplest level, by improving blood flow"

Dr Alex Richardson

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)