Fish Pie Recipe – Creamy, Comforting & Simple to Make
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Poaching Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
This old-fashioned fish pie is true comfort food — creamy, satisfying, and beautifully simple. Tender white fish is gently poached in milk, folded through a thick, flavourful béchamel, topped with buttery mashed potato, fresh parsley, and crisp golden breadcrumbs. The full batch makes a generous pie, enough to serve around 8–10 people, so I’ve included a half-sized version in the ingredients list as well.
Ingredients
Fish Pie - Full Batch
- 1-1.2 kg white fish fillets such as hoki / blue grenadier, ling, or cod
- 4 cups milk 1 litre
- 2 medium-large onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 4 –6 bay leaves
- A few parsley stems
- 100 g butter
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 kg potatoes peeled and chopped into large pieces
- ½ cup cream - warmed 125ml
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2-3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 50 g melted butter or olive oil
Fish Pie - Half Batch
- 500-600 g white fish fillets such as hoki / blue grenadier, ling, or cod
- 2 cups milk 500ml
- 1 onion sliced
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- A few parsley stems
- 50 g butter
- 50 g flour
- 500 g potatoes peeled and chopped into large pieces
- ¼ cup cream 65 ml
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup parsley
- 1 - 1½ cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 25 g melted butter or olive oil
To Serve
- Honeyed carrots
- Green peas with butter
- Sautéed grape tomatoes with olive oil, salt & pepper
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Poach the Fish
- Place fish fillets, milk, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley stems in a deep ovenproof dish so the fish is submerged.
- Put the dish, uncovered, into a cold oven. Turn on to 150 °C fan (300 °F) or 170 °C conventional (340 °F) and poach gently for 30 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven. Lift out the fish carefully, keeping it in large pieces, and place into a greased serving dish. I used a baking dish measuring 32 × 25 × 7 cm (deep) for the full batch. For a half batch, a smaller ovenproof dish works beautifully
- Strain the milk through a sieve, discarding onions and aromatics. Set the infused milk aside.
Prepare Potatoes
- Peel and chop potatoes into large pieces.
- Add to a pot of cold salted water and boil until tender. Drain and allow to steam dry for a few minutes.
- Mash with warm cream until smooth, seasoning with salt & pepper. Keep warm.
Prepare the Breadcrumb Topping
- Combine fresh breadcrumbs and lemon zest.
- Stir through melted butter until lightly coated.
Make the Béchamel
- Melt 100 g butter in a saucepan.
- When foaming, stir in 100 g flour and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Off the heat, gradually whisk in the warm strained milk, then return to medium heat and whisk until thick and smooth.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble the Pie
- Pour the béchamel evenly over the fish.
- Spoon mashed potatoes on top, spreading gently to cover the sauce layer.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C fan (340 °F) / 190 °C conventional (375 °F) for about 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with baking paper for the last 5 minutes.
- Rest briefly before serving.
Serve With
- Honeyed carrots, buttered peas, sautéed grape tomatoes, and lemon wedges. You can view how I did these in the video.
Notes
- Fish choice: I used Hoki fillets in this recipe, which are also known as blue grenadier. Other mild white fish such as ling or cod work well too, and you can add a little smoked fish, salmon, or even some prawns for a richer flavour.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free plain flour blend for the roux and gluten-free bread for the topping.
- Sauce thickness: The 1:1 butter-to-flour ratio with 1 litre milk produces a thick, creamy béchamel that holds its layers beautifully.
- Timing tip: It’s best to cook the potatoes after the fish has come out of the oven. This way, the béchamel has time to set slightly, and the warm potatoes spread more easily when assembling the pie.
- Add-in option: You can stir in cooked carrots and defrosted peas into the béchamel before assembling if you prefer to include vegetables inside the pie.
- Serving suggestion: Equally delicious served with a crisp green salad instead of vegetables on the side.
- Make-ahead: Assemble and refrigerate before baking; allow to return to room temperature before putting in the oven.