Nothing beats a creamy fish pie for some hearty comfort food. My award-winning recipe is always on our recipe rotation at home.
This recipe has been handed down to me through generations and has been tested HUNDREDS of times.
Fish Pie with Cheesy Mash is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods.
Although it’s usually difficult to get my carnivorous family to skip the meat for a day, I know that my fish pie will always ensure everyone’s plates are clear.
Usually I make a large fish pie and plonk it in the middle of the table. My intention is to let everyone help themselves, and then for me to save leftovers for lunch the next day.
After everyone’s gone back for second (and usually third) helpings though, my leftovers tend to consist of one solitary pea – that probably got dropped on the floor by one of the kids.
So we all leave the table, undoing our top buttons with that mashed-potato-overload-comatose feeling.
One of these days I will learn how to portion control!
This Creamy Fish Pie recipe was the one I cooked up on stage in a live-cookoff at the Big Feastival a few years ago (I added some crumbled up Piper’s cheese and onion crisps on top for a little twist on that one).
As part of the cook-off, we had to make a giant version so the audience could taste-test the recipe and vote for their favourite. And that audience was scarily huge (see below)!
🏆 My recipe won 🏆 – and that was the beginning of a wonderful working relationship with Neff (who put up the prize of £10k of Neff kitchen equipment), and who I’m still working with!
So now you know my award-winning recipe! I hope you love it as much as I do.
What do have with fish pie?
- I usually serve my fish pie with peas and sweetcorn. The kids love this combo
- Sugarsnap peas/snow peas/mange tout also work really well.
- I personally LOVE kale so that’s always an option too!
- These simple butter pepper carrots are also a delicious side dish.
- Or My Garlic Green Beans
Watch How To Make It
More Fish or seafood recipes 🐟
- Crispy Fish Burger with Shoestring Fries – one of the kid’s favourites!
- Baked Fish and Chips with Lemon Smashed Peas – a lighter option than going to the chippy.
- Pan Fried Salmon and Spaghetti with Lemon Cream Sauce – Super quick and tasty.
- Garlic Bread Crusted Salmon – an impressive special dinner with an easy hack.
- Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake – a reader favourite!
- Thai Fish Cakes
- Easy Salmon Recipe
- Honey Garlic butter Baked Salmon
- Or my Salmon Sushi Bowl
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Fish Pie with Cheesy Mash
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 1/2 lb) floury potatoes such as maris piper, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 ½ tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp double cream (heavy cream)
- large pinch salt and pepper
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) full-fat milk
- 2 boneless salmon fillets
- 1-2 boneless cod or haddock fillet
- 15 king prawns shrimp these can be cooked or raw (make sure they’re de-veined)
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour OR 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water for gluten free
- 1 ½ tbsp butter
- 150 g (1 1/2 packed cups) grated mature cheddar cheese
- pinch black pepper
To serve:
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- peas
- sweetcorn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
- Place the potatoes into a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.1 kg (2 1/2 lb) floury potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and then mash with a potato masher or ricer. Stir in half of the butter, the cream and a pinch of salt and pepper. Put to one side.1 1/2 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp double cream, large pinch salt and pepper
- Place the milk in a large saucepan with the salmon fillets and the cod/haddock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes (if you're using raw prawns, add them in for the last minute of cooking). By this time your fish should be cooked and starting to flake apart.600 ml (2 1/2 cups) full-fat milk, 2 boneless salmon fillets, 1-2 boneless cod or haddock fillet, 15 king prawns
- Place the flaked fish and prawns (add the cold, cooked prawns at this point if using) in a large baking dish, remove and discard the skin if the fish wasn't skinless.15 king prawns
- Pour the cooking liquid into a jug and keep to one side
Regular Version of the sauce:
- Melt the remaining butter in the milk pan, then stir in the flour. Heat through on a medium heat whilst mixing with a wooden spoon for a minute.2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour, 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- Slowly add in the reserved milk that you cooked the fish in whilst stirring with a balloon whisk (don't whisk it hard though, or you'll end up with a frothy sauce). The sauce will begin to thicken after a few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir through half the cheese and a pinch of black pepper.150 g (1 1/2 packed cups) grated mature cheddar cheese, pinch black pepper
Gluten Free version of the sauce:
- Pour the reserved milk back into the milk pan and heat until barely simmering – don't let it boil. A bit at a time, stir through the cornflour/water mixture using a balloon whisk. Keep adding the cornflour mix until the milk thickens. Turn off the heat and stir through half the cheese and a pinch of black pepper.
Assembly:
- Now it's time to assemble fish pie. Pour the sauce over the fish/prawn mixture.
- Spoon the mashed potato over the top and then use a fork to spread it out and give it a lined pattern (this gives the mash more surface area to crisp up).
- Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Top with chopped chives and serve with peas, and sweetcorn.1 tbsp chopped chives, peas, sweetcorn
Video
Notes
Can you reheat fish pie?
Yes, quickly cool, cover and refrigerate any leftovers. It should be fine in the fridge for up to a day. Place the leftovers (still in the oven dish) in the oven, covered in foil for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until piping hot throughout. You can remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking to crisp up the top again.Can you freeze fish pie?
Yes!I find the mashed potato can be a little watery after freezing, but so long as the pie is fully defrosted before reheating, it should be fine after cooking and crisping up in the oven. Make the fish pie right up to the point before you put it in the oven. Then quickly cool, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ensure it’s fully defrosted throughout before reheating), then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F until the potato is golden brown and the sauce is starting to bubble up at the sides.
Other topping ideas:
- If you want to go with the exact recipe I cooked on stage, then take the cooked fish pie out of the oven, sprinkle over a couple of handfuls of crushed Piper’s Cheddar and Onions crisps and place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just to heat the topping through. Lovely and crunchy!
- Try adding add a spoonful of mustard to the mashed potato for a bit of a kick (I would use dijon mustard).
- Use half regular potatoes and half sweet potatoes for the topping for a sweeter taste and a vibrant topping!
- Stir cooked and chopped little florets of broccoli into the mashed potato before you spoon it over the fish mixture.
What type of fish to use for fish pie:
I use a mixture of salmon, king prawns and white fish such as cod or haddock. You can replace some of the fish if you prefer.- You can replace the cod/haddock with pollock, halibut or hake.
- Replace the salmon with trout (this has a slightly milder flavour than salmon).
- I sometimes replace half of the cod/haddock with smoked haddock – this adds a lovely smoky-salty flavour to the dish. Just using 1 smoked haddock fillet means the smokiness won’t be overpowering.
- I’ll sometimes leave the prawns out entirely and add an extra salmon/cod fillet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first published in July 2015. Updated in October 2019 with new photos, recipe video, step-by-step photos and recipe tips. Updated in Aug 202 for housekeeping reasons.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Hi Nicky and Cris.
Just wanted to ask if frozen peas can be put in the fish mix? Or would they water the sauce down too much.
Also would it be ok to use individual dishes?
Looking forward to trying this out. Got my eye on the jambalaya next.
Thanks. Pauline
Hi Pauline,
Yes, you can add frozen peas in there – it should be fine. Individual dishes work great too – I often do that 🙂
Thanks,
Nicky
This is absolutely delicious! My husband is such a fussy eater and is going off all meat so I wanted to make something with fish! He absolutely loved it and asked me to print the recipe so we can have it again!! Will become a regular in our house! 😊
Can you make the cheesy mash fish pie a day in advance?
Hi Heather,
You can make this ahead upto and including step 11. Then cool it, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
Top with the cheese and cook in the oven the next day, make sure its cooked through thoroughly before serving as it will need longer to cook from the fridge than in the instructions, it should be piping hot in the middle.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
I’ve never eaten or cooked a fish pie. I’m a USA (yousa) over here in Denver CO. BUT your pic’s are beautiful. I’ll be back to your blog soon.
Fish pie for dinner last night, love the cheesy mash. Gorgeous quite saucy, but that’s the way I like it.
Just made this for lunch. Very yummy. A bit “saucy”….so maybe next time I will use a bit less milk. Thanks so much for the récipe.
Hi Nicky, your fish pies look so yummy. I made this last night and sad to say it was a big failure. I didn’t have small ramekins so I made it in a baking dish and it turned into a soupy bland mess. Sigh…I had such high hopes! Maybe it’s best made in small dishes? I would love to try it again when I get some better baking dishes and maybe add more salt. Thanks for the recipe even though we didn’t really enjoy it!
Sorry it didn’t work for you Fran. It is supposed to be quite saucy, but it may have been just a little too much sauce in a large dish. Did you use strong Cheddar? I find that gives a lot of flavour to the sauce. If you like it really strong, extra Cheddar plus a tsp of Dijon mustard is great too.
How may pounds or ounces of each fish?
Nicky, i just made it for the third time and wanted to say big thank You as my family and me love it!
Regards from Croatia
Thank you so much Natalija, and greetings to you all the way over in Croatia! I’m so glad you and the family enjoyed it 🙂
Firstly Nicky, it’s so great that you are blogging full time now! You are one talented lady for sure 🙂
Secondly, these fish pies look like something Chris would love! And winter is the perfect time for fish pie.
And lastly, guuuurrrl do I know about struggling with eating mindfully. I am usually the ‘eat until full’ and occasionally ‘eat until feeling sick’ type. I’ll be really interested in hearing about your experience of the course and what you’ve learned!
Thanks Amy (blush)
I’m really looking forward to the workshop on Tuesday. I’ll definitely give an update on it.
I always wonder whether other food bloggers (or other people in general really!) have the same problem. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one 🙂