The Inspiration for Making Our Fish Pie
Suppose you have been a fan of high-profile chefs and cooking reality shows like I am. In that case, you may have heard of Marco Pierre White, a legendary chef, restaurateur, and TV personality who is responsible for teaching some of the planet’s greatest chefs – Gordon Ramsay, Jason Atherton, Heston Blumenthal, and Bryn Williams, are among others who worked in his kitchens and trained under him during their younger years.
A Fascination for Simplicity
White, the first British chef to achieve three Michelin stars, was coaxed out of his seven-year retirement by show producers of Hell’s Kitchen to take on Gordon Ramsay’s role in the 2007 Series 3, leading a culinary battle of challenges to turn a group of unnamed aspiring chef-trainees into full-fledged chefs over the season’s series of episodes.
During the airing, I was so fascinated with the simplicity of how Marco Pierre White made his featured fish pie that I vowed to create a rendition of the dish since I did not have the actual recipe to follow. One takeaway I noted from watching was, “Keep it simple. Let the food speak for itself.” Therefore, in my humble attempt at the culinary challenge, I have worked to produce a suitable copycat with a recipe that keeps it super simple so any home cook can make it successfully. You’ll love the taste, and it will surely impress family and friends. It’s fantastic!
“Keep it simple. Let the food speak for itself.”
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How to Make Fish Pie
#1 - Choose your fish
You can help support sustainable fisheries with your choices at the seafood counter. But often, it’s hard to stay on top of what is sustainable, especially when it comes from international waters. If you’re unsure about fish and seafood choices’ impact on the ocean and whether those selections affect the environment, check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Consumer Guides. When you download their easy-to-understand reference guides to check the rating of popular seafood items, it will help you when dining and shopping. The examples make it easy to find sustainable seafood wherever you live or travel, so you can make a difference for our oceans by making responsible food choices.
We like a combination of white fish like cod alongside salmon or trout for the natural oils in the fish to help give the dish flavor, then including seafood such as shrimp or crabmeat.
#2 - Choose your potatoes
We used Russet potatoes because they are easy to find in Wisconsin.
When we set out to choose the best potato for making fish pie, we found several recipes that mentioned using “floury” potatoes. The reason is that you want them to be a fluffy contrast to the richness beneath.
What is a floury potato?
If you’re not Irish, you may not know precisely what a floury potato is. This post about floury potatoes helped us out immensely. Per the author’s suggestion, we decided on using Russet potatoes because they are easy to find in Wisconsin, but you could also use Idaho potatoes that were also mentioned. Both provide the mealy or floury potato quality that works well for this recipe.
#3 - Cook the spuds
CLICK HERE for a free tip sheet from the Idaho Potato Commission!
Cut the potatoes into large but equally sized chunks into a suitable large saucepan, cover with cold water and a good dash of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to roll, reduce the heat and simmer until tender. How long it will take depends on the size of your potato chunks.
When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain well, putting them back into the hot pan to let the steam evaporate until dry. Then add the butter and a splash of milk (a little at a time), mashing until smooth, and season to taste.
#4 - Preheat the oven and prepare the fish
While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).
YouTube video credit: Brenden McDermott, Chef/Chef Instructor | Institute of Culinary Education
Remove the skin from the fish if it exists; check the salmon and the other white fish for bones (watch the videos above), cut the fillets into bite-size chunks, and place them in the bottom of an oven-proof dish with the shrimp. Don’t worry about eating raw fish; everything will cook to perfect doneness as it bakes in the oven.
We like making fish pie in a stoneware bread pan because of how deep the dish is. If you’re not adjusting the servings listed to make more, the amount fits just fine in the bread pan, but you could always use any deep baking dish that’s your favorite.
#5 - For the filling and sauce
Slice, rinse and drain the leeks well, adding them with the peas and 1 tablespoon of butter to a 9-inch skillet. Sauté for about 1 minute over medium heat, stirring lightly, just long enough to soften the leeks a bit, then add the 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat the vegetables evenly.
Add the cream, milk, and fish stock, stirring lightly as you bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low; add the shredded cheese, tarragon, pepper, and salt. Continue to stir lightly until the mixture thickens.
When thick, pour the hot mixture into the baking dish over the top of the fish and shrimp.
#6 - Top with the mashed potatoes and bake
Lightly spoon the mashed potatoes over the top of the vegetable and sauce mixture in the baking dish. Rake or swirl the top with a fork if you want to make the top extra crispy.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove briefly, sprinkle the top with extra cheese, breadcrumbs, or chopped parsley if desired, and return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden.
Make Fish Pie in Advance
Follow the instructions above through the first 20-minute bake to make it ahead of time. Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to three days.
To finish, place the cold, partially baked fish pie in a preheated oven at 350° F and heat it for 30-35 minutes or until it bubbles around the edges. Remove briefly, sprinkle the top with extra cheese, breadcrumbs, or chopped parsley if desired, and return to a 425°F/220°C oven to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden.
For more healthy recipes that you can make in advance, check out our round-up of ideas in the Meal Prep Collection!
Before we go...
I invite you to make our fish pie, but if you are “a purest” where only the authentic version will do, Marco Pierre White’s original recipe from his country pub, the Yew Tree at Highclere, Berks (not on the menu right now), can be found in the Guardian. However, my recipe is without the complications of making a fish sauce from scratch.
Of course, there are several other acceptable adaptations strewn across the world wide web for fish pie. But whenever you make it feel free to substitute ingredients with what you have available, as we did. Then enjoy it because (trust me) it’s just what you need right now!
XXO
Kymberley
P.S. When you try this recipe, let us know how you like it! Leave a comment below, share it, and rate it – it’s super helpful for other readers and us. Just click the blue-green comment bubble on the bottom right of your screen to jump to the comment area below.
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Marco Pierre White’s Fish Pie (Copycat Recipe)
@ GfreeDeliciously
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 9-inch Skillet
- 1 Oven-Proof Baking Dish or Stoneware Breadpan [3]
- 1 Cutting Board
- Utensils (Cooks Knife, Whisk, Measuring Cups & Spoons, Rubber Spatula or Large Spoon)
INGREDIENTS
For the Fish
- 6- ounce fillet Cod [1] cut into bite-size pieces
- 6- ounce fillet Salmon cut into bite-size pieces
- 6 ounce Shrimp small-size, deveined and tails removed (defrost and pat dry if necessary)
For the Potatoes
- 1-1/2 pounds Potatoes Idaho or Russet [2]
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- Splash Milk
For the Filling and Sauce
- ½ cup leeks sliced, rinsed, and drained well
- ½ cup Peas frozen
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup Fish Stock
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon dried Tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon White Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Optional
- Chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, or more grated cheese for topping.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep - Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).
For the Potatoes
- Cut the potatoes into large but equally sized chunks into a suitable large saucepan, cover with cold water and a good dash of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to roll, reduce the heat and simmer until tender. How long it will take depends on the size of your potato chunks.1-1/2 pounds Potatoes
- When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain well, putting them back into the hot pan to let the steam evaporate until dry. Then add the butter and a splash of milk (a little at a time), mashing until smooth, and season to taste.3 tablespoons Butter, Splash Milk
For the Fish
- While the potatoes are cooking, remove the skin from the fish if it exists; check the salmon and the other white fish for bones (remove bones with a tweezer or needle-nose pliers), cut the fillets into bite-size chunks, and place them in the bottom of an oven-proof dish with the shrimp. Don’t worry about eating raw fish; everything will cook to perfect doneness as it bakes in the oven. [3]6- ounce fillet Cod, 6 ounce Shrimp, 6- ounce fillet Salmon
To make the filling and sauce
- Slice, rinse and drain the leeks well, adding them with the peas and 1 tablespoon of butter to a 9-inch skillet. Cook for about 1 minute over medium heat, stirring lightly, just long enough to soften the leeks a bit, then add the 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat the vegetables evenly.1/2 cup leeks, 1/2 cup Peas, 1 tablespoon Butter, 2 tablespoons all-purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- Add the cream, milk, and fish stock, stirring lightly as you bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low; add the shredded cheese, tarragon, pepper, and salt. Continue to stir lightly until the mixture thickens. When thick, pour the hot mixture into the baking dish over the top of the fish and shrimp.1 cup Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup Milk, 1/2 cup Fish Stock, 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, 1/2 teaspoon dried Tarragon, 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
Top and Bake
- Lightly spoon the mashed potatoes over the top of the vegetable and sauce mixture in the baking dish. [3] Rake or swirl the top with a fork if you want to make the top extra crispy.1-1/2 pounds Potatoes, 3 tablespoons Butter, Splash Milk
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove briefly, sprinkle the top with extra cheese, breadcrumbs, or chopped parsley if desired, and return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden. Serve on its own, with a side of buttered and herbed peas or wilted greens.1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
YOUR OWN NOTES
KITCHEN NOTES
Make Fish Pie in Advance
Follow the instructions above through the first 20-minute bake to make it ahead of time. Then, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to three days.
To finish, place the cold, partially baked fish pie in a preheated oven at 350° F and heat it for 30-35 minutes or until it bubbles around the edges. Remove briefly, sprinkle the top with extra cheese, breadcrumbs, or chopped parsley if desired, and return to a 425°F/220°C oven to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden.
Serve on its own, with a side of buttered and herbed peas or wilted greens.Nutrition
Recipe Card with Nutrition powered by WP Recipe Maker
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