Description
Fish pie has salmon, cod, and shrimp baked in a creamy dill sauce and topped with baked mashed potatoes. A great meal for feeding a crowd. It’s comforting, filling, while still being light. The perfect recipe for St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Mashed Potatoes
- 1.5 pounds golden potatoes, cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling water)
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup skim milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 green onions, sliced, including white ends
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 2 to 3 leeks, sliced and rinsed to remove any dirt
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour (see notes)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay)
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons creamy Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
- Juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 handfuls of baby spinach
- 2/3 cup peas, defrosted and drained
Fish
- 1/2 pound skinless salmon
- 1/2 pound skinless cod (or other white firm fish, such as pollock, haddock, halibut etc)
- 1/2 pound peeled and de-vained shrimp (or sub squid or shelled mussels)
garnish
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Prepare: chop all of the veggies according to the directions above, set aside into separate bowls. Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot, cover with cold water (we like to leave the skins on, for texture, you can peel them if desired). Remove your fish from the fridge and allow it to come to room temp on the counter (helps with even cooking). Grease a 9×9 baking dish and set aside. Line a large cookie sheet with foil and set the greased baking dish on top (to catch any spills). Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Boil the potatoes: Cover the pot of potatoes with a lid and allow them to come to a boil. Once boiling add the tablespoon of salt, remove the cover and allow them to boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or just until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, place the drained potatoes back into the same pot, turn on the heat to low and allow the moisture to cook out of the potatoes for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat to allow them to cool just until they aren’t steaming anymore.
- Saute the veggies: while the potatoes are cooking heat a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the leeks, carrots, and celery saute stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes – careful not to brown the veggies. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
- Mash the potatoes: While the veggies are sauteing, mash the potatoes. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until you reach your desired consistency, I like mine a little chunky. Stir in the butter and allow it to melt. Stir in the olive oil and 1/2 of the milk at a time until the potatoes are moist, but not runny (you may not use all of the milk). Stir in the salt and pepper and green onions, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Keep covered to keep warm and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Returning to the pan with the veggies, turn the heat to low, melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the flour. Cook the flour for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the white wine and stir to combine well. Allow the wine to simmer for 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the milk, stirring constantly. Once smooth and creamy stir in the mustard. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened add the spinach and peas, cover with a lid and allow the spinach to wilt. Continue to simmer for 1 more minute, or until the sauce has thickened enough that when you pull your spoon through the pan, the sauce stays separated (see photo in post). Stir in the dill and season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool a little.
- Cut the fish: While the sauce is cooling cut your fish in to 1 inch cubes and your shrimp into 1/2 inch chunks – if using muscles or squid rings you can leave them whole. Set aside.
- Assemble: Once the sauce is cooled a little transfer the fish and shrimp to the pan. Gently stir combine the fish with the sauce – it may seem like a thick sauce but it will thin out as the juices from the fish are released during cooking. Transfer the sauce and fish to the prepared baking dish. Add the mashed potatoes to the top of the fish mixture, spreading it out to the edges.
- Bake: Place the dish on top of the prepared cookie sheet, place the pan in the center of your pre-heated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the potatoes have browned bits on top.
- Cool: Allow the fish pie to cool for 15 minutes.
- Serve: Just before serving garnish with a sprinkle of sliced green onions. Scoop onto serving plates and serve hot.
Notes
Gluten free: To make this recipe gluten free use all purpose gluten free flour blend for the roux.
Potatoes: I like to leave the skins on my potatoes for extra texture, however feel free to peel them if you prefer.
White wine: The alcohol in the white wine cooks off completely. However, if you don’t want to use white wine you can either replace it with chicken stock or extra milk.
I like to serve this dish with a simple side salad or roasted veggies.
