Fish pie has become one of those classics of English suburban cuisine, an easy-to-love dish of healthy marine protein and less healthy creamy bits; a dish for all the family and all palates. But, is it really traditional? And, is that really important?
Fish pie—or what now gets called fish pie in the UK—is one of those dishes enshrined in a nostalgic glow, something you can find, as a "ready meal", in practically any grocery outlet anywhere in the world serving British ex-pat punters.
Some say that fish pie is a traditional English dish, least of all the generation of UK TV chefs of the "new simplicity" school of cooking, all of whom have done their own versions wrapped up in false histories and nostalgia.
Let's just say that the notion that fish pie is a "traditional" British dish is distorting the truth somewhat. Fish pies—and please note the plural(ism)—are indeed traditional. But the type made with leftover lampreys and eels in the 17th century or the traditional Cornish fish pie, resplendent with pilchards poking their attached heads out of the heavy pastry, are far from what we know as fish pie today. Indeed, if anything comes close to today's notion of fish pie, it's to be found in a Victorian manual on catering for parties that describes covering white fish with cream before baking it.
No, this British "tradition" has its roots firmly in the post-WWII era with the advent of supermarkets and suburban mothers brought up on wartime austerity (and all the lack of culinary scope that went with it) seeking simple, economic meals that would appeal to their families. And, no, nothing wrong with that. But let's not call a fish pie the fish pie. That's downright fishy.
My version of the format is not fancy—trust me, I can definitely go there if you wish. Rather, it's a personal take on shifting the flavours to make them a little more interesting in their combination while losing nothing of the simplicity and broad appeal of the alleged tradition.
Something worth noting is that the combination of root veggies used in this topping has a far higher water content and correlated lower carbohydrate content than when only using potatoes. This means that it will not really form a "crust" in the way that mashed potato does in the more familiar recipe. But the payoff is in their natural sweetness, least of all for parents who struggle to get their sweet-toothed nippers to eat vegetables.
Similarly, there are two reasons I prefer to use Japanese panko breadcrumbs on the topping. Firstly, because they are so light, they do not sink into the crust as moisture is released as it cooks. Secondly, it's almost impossible to burn panko. Even when entirely blackened, they still taste good, unlike that toast-turned-to-carbon thing that happens with regular Western breadcrumbs. This is particularly helpful if you have a monstrously uneven grill (like mine).
This recipe serves 2 to 3 diners and can be easily scaled and adapted. But, before you dive in headfirst, here are a couple of points to take onboard:
In this version, the curly kale is not simply a side dish, but part of the cooking process for the pie itself. So, if you don't like kale, you're either going to waste food (because you still need it) or you'll need to experiment with alternatives. To save you time, I've tried it with both spinach and broccoli and what it does to the fish is vile. Equally importantly, cooking the kale with mushrooms isn't random: it's a trick I was taught many years ago by a woman from Brittany who taught me how just a few mushrooms can transform the taste of kale into a much milder, more mellow flavour
The key principle with the carrots, swede and potatoes is that they are roughly in equal portions. My shopping list below is indicative, but you should adjust according to the size of the veggies you're using
Similarly, in the spirit of keeping this an affordable family meal, I'm using a frozen "fish pie mix" of salmon, smoked haddock and cod from on of the UK's cheapest supermarket chains. But, you can tart it up as much as you like; chuck in scallops or king prawns or fresh fishmonger fare. Your choice
Shopping list
The side dish (and base note)
100g fresh curly kale; washed, drained and roughly chopped
1 vegetable stock cube; diluted in a cup of boiling water
5 or 6 medium closed-cup mushrooms, cut into quarters
A generous knob of unsalted butter
The juice and zest of ½ a lemon
Some olive oil
A pinch of salt
½ glass of white wine (optional)
The fish pie
Approx. 300g of mixed filleted and deboned fish (and/or seafood); fresh or frozen and fully defrosted
½ a medium swede; peeled and cut into large pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
3 to 4 carrots; peeled and cut into large pieces
4 large sticks of celery; finely sliced
Approx. 300ml béchamel sauce, freshly prepared or defrosted from frozen
A generous clutch of fresh dill; washed, drained and finely chopped
(At least) 1 heaped tbspn unsalted butter
1 tbspn coarse mustard, such as Dijon mustard (optional)
Some single cream (optional, but recommended)
Salt and coarse black pepper to taste
½ glass of white wine (optional)
Cooking Method
The initial prep
It's important that you cook the kale first. You can even do this the day before and store overnight in the fridge. In an appropriately sized pot with a lid, melt and heat a generous knob of butter until it begins to bubble. Add the mushrooms and stir intermittently until they begin to brown. Add the white wine (if using it) and cook off. Add the curly kale, stirring so that it is coated with the juices in the pot. Season with salt and pour in the diluted stock, cover the pot and bring to the boil. Allow to boil vigorously for about 5min, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer (for approx.15 to 20min) until the kale is tender to your preference
Drain the contents of the pot using a colander, but ensure you catch the liquid—the "kale juice"—in a bowl or the pot in which you plan to cook the fish. More about the kale later...
In a suitable pot with a lid, bring the carrots, swede and potatoes to the boil in salted water. Boil for about 5min and then cover and simmer until all of the vegetables are cooked until tender i.e. a fork can pass through them without resistance. This usually takes about 15 to 20mins. But, cooking times vary, so you will need to keep checking if they are not yet fully cooked at 15mins until they are done
Once fully cooked, drain thoroughly and return to the same pot while it is still hot. Add butter and ground black pepper as you mash them. As your mixture becomes smoother, add single cream, a little at a time. Finally, cream these root veggies—the topping for your fish pie—using a handheld blender, adding more cream as you go, until it has a light, creamy texture. You can do this immediately before making your fish pie, or you can do it in advance, storing it sealed in the fridge for up to 3 days before making your pie
In a large pot (or deep pan) with a lid, pour in about 1cm of the "kale juice"and bring to the boil. When it's boiling, add the chopped celery and the white wine (if using it). Cover and allow to boil vigorously for about 6 or 7mins. Uncover and add your fish, adding a little more "kale juice" if needed, but ensuring the the additional liquid is also brought back to the boil
Reduce the heat, cover and poach until the fish is cooked. Depending on how rapidly the heat in your pot drops, this will vary. Often it only takes 3 to 4mins. So, be careful to not overcook the fish. Remove from the heat and allow the fish to settle in the still warm liquid for a few minutes. Then drain using a colander that will collect both fish and the celery. Once cool enough, decant to a suitable oven-proof baking dish
Preparing the fish pie
Prepare your béchamel, creating it from scratch or reheating the defrosted frozen sauce (the microwave does it most efficiently) so it returns to its desired texture, stirring, maybe even adding a little cream to get the right thick-but-pourable consistency. Add the raw chopped dill (and mustard if using it) and stir into the still warm sauce. Gently pour over the fish and celery. Using a knife or chopstick, "jostle" the fish pieces, creating little "crevices" so the béchamel seeps deep into the dish
Wait until the béchamel has sufficiently settled and cooled before adding the topping. It doesn't have to be cold, but it does need to become somewhat "set" to prevent the topping sinking into the béchamel. Using a piping bag, a spoon or spatula, spread the topping in a thick, even layer over the top of the béchamel. Finally, sprinkle the panko (or breadcrumbs) over the topping. Dab (or spritz) a little olive oil over the panko and bake in the middle of the oven at 250°C/480°F/gas mark 9 for about 20mins. If your panko/breadcrumbs have not already browned, finish off under the grill. Turn off the heat and allow the pie to settle in the still warm oven while you finish the kale side dish
Reheat the kale. This is easiest in a microwave (about 2mins, uncovered, stirring halfway through) or in a shallow pan with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Finally, dress the hot Kale with a dash of olive oil, the lemon juice and zest
Plate and enjoy
Alternatives
Fish pie is intrinsically a pescatarian dish. Nope, I've never thought about a veggie or vegan version. And, indeed, never thought of a meat version—because they already exist. Shepherd's pie or cottage pie, anyone?
Accompaniments
Because this particular fish pie has a notable tension between the sweetness of the topping and the freshness of the dill (and piquant mustard if including it), if doing the wine thing, it's important that you find something that can work across that flavour spectrum. In blunt terms, we're talking about dry whites. I find a lot of South African chenin blancs, with those peppery notes, work really well. Another thing that works very well is playing those creamy and sweeter flavours of the dish off against that particular acidity, with just the hint of fizz, that you find in many good rieslings or Albariños.
Then again, you can opt in to the fake British tradition of the dish itself and stick to beer. The brisk tartness of many a lager is the perfect balance to the sweeter aspects of the topping.
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