Fish Pie
This is a quintessential British recipe that I have been making for years. As a matter of fact, I begin to crave it when the days get short. Fish Pie is comfort food at its best. Why then, has it taken so long for me to share, you might ask. Well, once again, it’s the photo that has held things up. I take the blame for all of my mediocre, unprofessional pictures throughout this blog but you try taking an attractive shot of a mashed potato casserole. Seriously, make this recipe and give it a shot. I’m considering offering a prize for anyone who can pull it off. Meanwhile, for the purpose of sharing this delightful dish I nicked a photo from the recipe author himself, Jamie Oliver, thinking that he wouldn’t mind as long as it got people cooking. You will notice that his photo (which is the one that’s printed alongside the recipe in his cookbook Jamie’s Food Revolution) is still mediocre, at best. The ketchup is optional for serving but essential to give the photograph some contrast.
On to the recipe, the nice thing about it is that all of the ingredients are combined (raw) in the casserole dish and then baked in the oven (with the exception of the mashed potatoes which must be made as you would or can even be bought if you’re in a pinch). Clean-up is the dish you serve in, plus a grater. I consider Fish Pie to be a Shepherd’s Pie of sorts for pescatarians. The chunks of fish (really any kinds you prefer) are combined with vegetables, some seasoning and then topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. After 40 minutes in the oven and a quick run under the broiler for color, you’ve got yourself a one dish meal, most often with leftovers. It’s a win, win and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 lbs potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 6 oz grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 fresh red chile
- 4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
- 10 oz salmon fillets skin off, bones removed
- 10 oz cod fillets skin off, bones removed
- 1/4 lb large shrimp raw, peeled
- olive oil
- handful spinach, chopped optional
- couple ripe tomatoes, quartered optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch chunks. Once water is boiling, add your potatoes and cook for around 12 minutes, until soft (you can stick a knife in them to check).
- Meanwhile, get yourself a casserole dish (9"x13") and stand a box grater in it. Peel the carrot and grate the carrot, celery and cheddar on the coarse side of the grater. Use the fine side to zest the lemon. Finely grate or chop your chile. FInely chop the parsley leaves and stalks and add them to the dish.
- Cut the salmon and cod into bite sized chunks and add to the dish, along with the shrimp. Squeeze over the juice of the zested lemon, drizzle with olive oil and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- If you want to add the spiach and/or tomatoes, do it now. Mix everything together really well.
- By now, you potatoes should be cooked, so drain them in a colander and return them to the pot. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Mash until nice and smooth, then spread evenly over the top of the fish and grated vegetables.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for around 40 minutes, or until cooked through ans crisp and golden on top. You can turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes at the end to help achieve this effect.
- Serve piping hot with tomato ketchup and/or baked beans, if you're feeling especially English. Or with a green salad. Or just, as is.