Classic Fish Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the fish pie sauce made of? ›

The sauce for a fish pie is traditionally roux-based where an equal amount of flour and butter is cooked until toasty then milk is whisked in to give a thick white sauce. As fish will give out water when cooked it's important to have a sauce that binds all of the ingredients and doesn't split.

The pie is usually made with fresh and smoked fish (for example cod, haddock, salmon or halibut) or seafood in a white sauce or cheddar cheese sauce made using the milk the fish was poached in. Hard boiled eggs are a common additional ingredient. Parsley or chives are sometimes added to the sauce.

Each ingredient plays a role in making the most unctuous dish. Adding prawns alongside the poached fish provides a sweet, seafood surprise, a good grating of nutmeg in the sauce punches extra flavour and enriching the mashed potato with egg yolk is a great tip for both taste and finish.

If, however, you have used skimmed (non-fat) milk or the type that only has 1% fat, then the sauce can curdle as the water content is so high. Otherwise we wonder if the pie is being slightly overheated. In this case the fish will overcook and extra water will be squeezed out, leaving a watery section in the pie.

Traditionally, oily fish such as anchovies are placed in a barrel with salt and slowly pressed to extract the liquid. Anchovies are often used, although some fish sauces are also made from shrimp, krill, or mackerel. The basic ingredients of a good fish sauce are fish, water, and salt.

With all natural ingredients and plenty of cream and herbs, this fabulously flavoursome sauce makes the perfect fish pie surprisingly simple. Created in The Cornish Fishmonger's Kitchen by an experienced, award-winning chef - our Fish Pie Sauce is creamy and carefully crafted with fresh seasonings and flavours.

The Fish Pie, also known as a Fisherman's Pie ( because the topping is similar to that of shepherd's pie, in that it uses mashed potatoes.), is a traditional British dish, said to have originated in Scotland.

The fish will be dryer when reheated but it should still taste good. It's important the cooked fish pie is cooled as quickly as possible then covered and refrigerated overnight. Then when you reheat it must be until it is piping hot throughout.

Why does my fish pie curdle? ›

However sometimes the white sauce in a fish pie splits or curdles due to the water released by the uncooked fish cooking in the oven. The key to avoiding curdled or split sauce is poaching the fish first in the milk so that it releases the water at that stage and not while it is cooking in the oven.

Food must always be chilled quickly and reheated thoroughly before eating. Food poisoning is usually caused by food not being cooked to a sufficient temperature for long enough to destroy the bacteria.

Cooked fish and other seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. Refrigeration slows but does not prevent bacterial growth. Therefore, it's important to use food within recommended time before it spoils or becomes dangerous.

"You can either reserve the fish pie in the fridge where it will keep until the next day for you to bake or cling film well and place into the freezer until required."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that cooked food be stored at a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or below, or be consumed within two hours of cooking. If cooked food is left at room temperature for more than two hours, it is considered potentially hazardous and should be discarded.

In Vietnam, it is the most popular condiment, equivalent to soy sauce in other Asian countries and ketchup in the US. Fish sauce contains three simple ingredients; fish (usually anchovies), water and salt. Sometimes shrimp or squid is used.

Fish sauce is manufactured through fermentation process for 3–12 months, in which fish and salt are previously mixed thoroughly at a ratio of 1:3. After 4–6-month period, a liquid containing fish extract is obtained in fermentation tanks. That liquid is actually fish sauce.

Basically, fish sauce is the liquid that results from the fermentation of small fish (most commonly anchovies) and salt. The process is rather simple: put a bunch of anchovies and salt together in a big tank and let it do its natural thing.

Fish sauce (yú lù, 鱼露) is made from salting and fermenting anchovies or krill.