North East Smoked Fish Pie
Flavourful smoked haddock and fresh white fish baked in a rich parsley sauce under a golden, buttery mashed potato crust.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Equipment
- •Casserole dish
- •Saucepan
- •Potato masher
- •Whisk
- •Colander
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 560 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place potatoes in a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes until tender.
- 2
Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then mash with 20g butter, 50ml milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- 3
Place the smoked haddock and white fish in a pan, pour over 450ml milk, and simmer gently on the hob for 5 minutes.
- 4
Strain the poaching milk into a jug and arrange the poached fish and peas evenly across a casserole dish.
- 5
Melt 40g butter in a clean saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the plain flour for 1 minute.
- 6
Gradually whisk in the reserved warm poaching milk until smooth, then simmer gently for 3 minutes until thickened.
- 7
Stir the chopped parsley, white pepper, and a pinch of salt into the sauce, then pour over the fish.
- 8
Spoon the mashed tatties (potatoes) evenly over the fish sauce and fluff the surface with a fork.
- 9
Scatter the grated cheddar cheese across the potato topping.
- 10
Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top.
Chef's tips
Poach the fish gently so it stays tender and imparts its rich smoked flavour into the milk base. Let the baked pie stand for five minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoked haddock → smoked cod, smoked pollock, or traditional Finnan haddie
- mature cheddar cheese → traditional Scottish Dunlop cheese or mature white cheddar
- plain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat covered with foil in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 minutes until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the fish vigorously during poaching, which causes the delicate flakes to break apart.
- •Mashing potatoes with too much liquid, causing the crust to sink into the fish filling.
- •Over-salting the sauce without accounting for the natural saltiness of smoked haddock.
Serving suggestions
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