Fish pie - in four steps
See this recipe step by step

Fish pie - in four steps

Delicious and easy - a fish pie anyone can make. You'll learn how to poach fish and make a white sauce too

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Freeze without eggs only

Method

  1. Poach the fish. Put the fish in the frying pan and pour over 500ml of the milk. Stud each onion quarter with a clove, then add to the milk, with the bay leaves. Bring the milk just to the boil - you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Lift the fish onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces in the baking dish.
  2. Hard-boil the eggs. Bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a gentle boil, with just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. Set the timer for 8 mins, cook, then drain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Peel, slice into quarters and arrange on top of the fish, then scatter over the chopped parsley.
  3. Make the sauce. Melt half the butter in a pan, stir in the 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. Return to the heat, bringto the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring continually, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the fish.
  4. Assemble and bake. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 20 mins. Drain, season and mash with the remaining butter and milk. Use to top the pie, starting at the edge of the dish and working your way in - push the mash right to the edges to seal. Fluff the top with a fork, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 30 mins. Make up to a day ahead, chill, then bake for 40 mins.
Try

Different flavours

Seafood: Add 200g raw peeled king prawns to the baking dish along with the poached fish. Salmon & dill: Replace the smoked haddock with 400g skinless salmon fillets, and use dill instead of the parsley. Fish & vegetable: Add 100g each frozen peas and sweetcorn to the baking dish before pouring over the sauce

Per serving

824 kcalories, protein 60g, carbohydrate 61g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 4g, sugar 10g, salt 3.12 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 141-160

  • Binder photo is it worth waiting for?

    13 February 2011

    is it worth waiting for? commented on this recipe

    love fish pie....i cook it this way....http://isitworthwaitingfor.blogspot.com/

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  • Binder photo axf902

    21 February 2011

    axf902 commented on this recipe

    As somebody who is relatively new to cooking, I found this easy to make and even nicer to eat. I added a little white wine to the sauce for a richer, tangier taste.

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  • Binder photo axf902

    21 February 2011

    axf902 commented on this recipe

    As somebody who is relatively new to cooking, I found this easy to make and even nicer to eat. I added a little white wine to the sauce for a richer, tangier taste.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo axf902

    21 February 2011

    axf902 commented on this recipe

    As somebody who is relatively new to cooking, I found this easy to make and even nicer to eat. I added a little white wine to the sauce for a richer, tangier taste.

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    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo xL

    27 February 2011

    xL rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    It was the first time I had tried adding eggs to a fish pie - delicious! Used a mixed pack of fish and made topping with sweet potato and ordinary potato - yummy! I didn't have any cloves but will pop them in next time.

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  • Binder photo lizdud

    05 March 2011

    lizdud commented on this recipe

    absolutely yummy, added carrots, spinach and frozen peas to ours tonight, took a little longer to prepare than suggested in the recipe but was worth it!

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  • Binder photo lurvlyloz

    30 March 2011

    lurvlyloz rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    first time making fish pie & not experience in cooking fish. such an easy reciepe. i left out the eggs but added mushrooms & sweetcorn. was really nice & will definately make again.

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  • Binder photo carriek88

    01 April 2011

    carriek88 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was amazing! I used a fish pie selection from the deli at my supermarket (smoked and unsmoked haddock, salmon and cod) and didn't use the eggs as I can't stand them! Definitely making this again, it was so easy and yummy!

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  • Binder photo Cecile

    08 April 2011

    Cecile rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Tried this three weeks ago, without the eggs. Went down very well indeed. Now a regular dish on the dinner table!

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  • Binder photo Cecile

    08 April 2011

    Cecile commented on this recipe

    I used fresh Red Snapper fish and added a couple of cardamon seeds to the sauce

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  • Binder photo Jenie

    11 April 2011

    Jenie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really easy to follow ... I always add the eggs as they bulk it up and add different flavour. I tend to use (for two) 300g of Fish Pie Mix, Sainsburys or Morrisons both do packets or off the counter, 100g of cooked frozen prawns and 2 eggs. Usually make it in the morning, refrigerate during the day and reheat later. Works really well :)

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  • Binder photo ginasnap

    22 April 2011

    ginasnap rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Super recipe - I also left out the eggs and added king prawns instead. Also didn't use as much cheese yet stirred it into the mash. Lastly for some extra richness I used 300mls of semi skimmed milk and added 200mls of cream right at the end and added it to the fish along witha tablespoon of chopped capers.

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  • Binder photo Corinnec

    22 April 2011

    Corinnec rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely, tasty, and simple. The only change I made was to the sauce: instead of making it in another pan, I used the (already milky) measuring jug and slowly blended the flour into a paste with the remaining milk. This could then be briskly stirred into the hot poaching milk, without the extra addition of the butter, without waiting for things to cool down and without dirtying another pan!

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  • Binder photo StaceyB85

    03 May 2011

    StaceyB85 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious fish pie recipe! Was just looking for something to use up leftover salmon and haddock peices and came across this, I left out the eggs and added some prawns, peas and leeks and it was gorgeous, will be making this again. It's very easy to make smaller portions too for less people, although it's probably better to make as much as you can because everyone will go back for seconds!!

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  • Binder photo Von

    09 May 2011

    Von rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I made this with some undyed smoked haddock, some whiting, and some salmon, as that was what looked good at the fish counter that day. It was very easy to prepare and tasted delicious. I didn't add the eggs because I just forgot, and I don't think I'll add them next time as it tasted so good without them (and my kids aren't keen on hard boiled eggs).

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  • Binder photo KatyCooks

    09 June 2011

    KatyCooks rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Well, I messed up by not adding in the white sauce and had to scrape off the mash (which was a very messy exercise), but it still ended up tasting lovely. I included the egg but mashed it rather than leaving it in chunks. I also added peas.

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  • Binder photo delllisa

    24 June 2011

    delllisa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this for the family 3 times now. Absolutely superb and surprisingly quite easy. The family do prefer without the eggs though. In-fact, making again tonight :)

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  • Binder photo CF

    10 July 2011

    CF rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This went down really well. We (2 adults & a child) got a second night out of it - it was really filling. We didn't add the eggs, but we did add frozen veg. I used haddock fillets and a smoked mackerel (which was pre-cooked so I didn't poach it).

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  • Binder photo yiching

    14 July 2011

    yiching rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made it last night it's really easy and delicious!

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  • Binder photo KazzaC

    25 July 2011

    KazzaC rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Easy and tasty. I left out the eggs and added peas instead. Used smoked cod as I couldn't find haddock. A good basic recipe.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Freeze without eggs only

Easy to make ahead

Ingredients

  • 400g skinless white fish fillet
  • 400g skinless smoked haddock fillet
  • 600ml full-fat milk
  • 1 small onion , quartered
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 eggs
  • small bunch parsley , leaves only, chopped
  • 100g butter
  • 50g plain flour
  • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1kg floury potato , peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
  • 50g cheddar , grated
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Per serving

824 kcalories, protein 60g, carbohydrate 61g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 4g, sugar 10g, salt 3.12 g

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