Creamy Fish Pie to Warm up a Wintery Evening

Last Updated on November 25, 2024

A Classic Fish Pie to finish in the oven or air fryer

I grew up dreading fish pie Friday. Much as I loved the idea of a fragrant creamy fish pie, my mother insisted on lacing the dish with eggs and I hated finding morsels of yolk or white when I was hoping for a mouthful of cod! My own recipe for this creamy fish pie is based on hers but leaves out the eggs, which on reflection were probably a way to make the dish a little more frugal.

The fundamental dish is the same as Mum’s though. You’ll need lots of fresh fish including salmon or trout and at least one firm white fish. A little smoked fish (haddock in my case) to add flavour and prawns if I have them to hand. Mix that up in a creamy white sauce with some kind of green vegetable that will cook quickly (peas are classic and the frozen sort works very well). Then top the whole dish with mashed potatoes and finish with a grating of cheddar to give the perfect finish for your creamy fish pie

On this occasion, I was on a mission to see what I could make using the air fryer and microwave. In fact, creamy fish pie does lend itself remarkably well to the kind of kitchen you might have in a student bedsit. You can cook the potatoes for mash in the microwave or use a good instant brand. The white sauce is a doddle made with cornflour in the microwave and cooking your creamy fish pie in the air fryer is simply a question of choosing an appropriate casserole that fits your own brand. I made four individual pies and couldn’t quite fit them all into my Satisfry. But, as I’d planned to freeze two, that was no problem. I cooked the pair for freezing first for 20 minutes to make sure the filling was cooked through before removing and leaving to cool Then I put the pair to eat into the air fryer and baked for a total of 30 minutes.

This creamy fish pie recipe is healthy and easy to put together. And, it’s very flexible. I’ve used a mix of fish scraps cut from larger pieces that I got from my fish supplier, Potter St. Fishmongers. The prawns were leftovers from a dinner party tapas and the smoked haddock was half a single portion. I’ve frozen the other half for the next time I want to make fish pie.

You’ll need a ratio of about 1 part fish to 2 parts potato by weight. And, for 400 grams of fish, you’ll need a white sauce made with about 250 ml of milk, I heaped tablespoon of cornflour and 15 grams of butter. I wanted to make white sauce in the microwave and cornflour is perfect for that because it doesn’t go lumpy. If you prefer to make a classic bechamel, then I’d suggest you do so on the hob so that you can gently cook the roux and add your milk in bit by bit. For an extra creamy sauce, add a tablespoon of creme fraiche or double cream to the finished sauce.

I do recommend infusing the milk with your fish before making up the white sauce. All you need to do is heat it to just below boiling point then add in all the fish, some salt and pepper and a couple of bayleaves. Leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes

You can use your own choice of vegetables (about 100g) – I used frozen peas but you can use mixed veg, sweetcorn, sliced green beans, finely diced leeks or fresh baby spinach. I’d avoid using frozen spinach unless you want to make a layered fish pie, in which case, defrost and drain the spinach, then spread it out as the bottom layer of your pie. That’s rather a fancy option!

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe for a creamy fish pie that can be made with just an air fryer and microwave. Here’s a printable version of the recipe for creamy fish pie – do let me know if you try it for yourself

Looking for a different fish recipe or a way to use up leftover mash? How about our fresh salmon fishcakes