The Ultimate Fisherman’s Pie

A comfort food classic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, Fisherman’s Pie is a hearty, coastal twist on dishes like shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie. Popular in the UK, this version is what I consider to be my magnum opus- the Ultimate Fisherman’s Pie: made with tender chunks of cod, shrimp, scallops, and mussels, all simmered in an indulgent creamy white sauce with my two secret ingredients (more on that later!), then topped with a generous layer of buttery, cheesy mashed potatoes baked until golden and crunchy. The result is rich, savory, and absolutely soul-warming, perfect for cozying up by the fireplace on a cold night or after coming from a long day. I love it because it’s both indulgent and rustic, yet surprisingly easy to pull together even on a weeknight, and it comes in one big bubbling dish! This Fisherman’s Pie is comfort food at its finest – ceamy, hearty, and irresistibly satisfying.

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Casseroles have a totally deserved reputation for being reliable, crowd-pleasing and easy to prepare, which is something that I rely on a lot! Having everything hang out in the oven is the perfect answer for when I have a ton to do but still want to make a nice meal for myself and others.

If you area fan of seafood then this Fisherman’s Pie is going to be right up your alley! This magical combination of mashed potatoes and creamy seafood is like a warm seaside hug. Put them in the oven to heat up and you’ve got a casserole so delish you may never want to go back to shepherd’s pie again!

I really like to make this by using an oven-safe Dutch oven or casserole dish, so that I can get all that yummy fond from searing the seafood infused into the white sauce AND I can skip doing a ton of dishes that night!

Everything You’ll Need To Make Fisherman’s Pie

• Seafood: Any seafood will work here, but you want to make sure it’s shelled first so you don’t have to get messy picking out shells in your casserole! I like cod, shrimp, mussels and sometimes even lump crab meat if I’m feeling extra fancy.
• Leeks: Leeks add an oniony touch without being too sharp or competing with the taste of the seafood
• Potatoes: Floury potatoes work best here, like Russets. The starchier the potato, the better the crunch will be when it gets baked!
• White sauce: This recipe uses standard white sauce recipe of milk, butter and flour, with TWO secret ingredients- clam juice and Old Bay seasoning!
• Parmesan cheese: A little mixed into the white sauce for depth, and for generously topping the mashed potatoes to get the ultimate savory crunch.
• Parsley: For a touch of color and some brightness in this rich casserole.

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Making The Perfect White Sauce (And Is It The Same As Béchamel Sauce?)

Béchamel sauce is one of the five “mother sauces” in classical French cooking. It’s made by whisking milk into a roux (a cooked mixture of butter and flour) and simmering until thickened. It’s seasoned simply with salt, white pepper, and a bit of nutmeg. Because it’s a base sauce, it’s meant to be built upon. For example, when you add cheese to it, it becomes Mornay sauce.

White sauce, on the other hand, is a broader term. It’s based on béchamel but can include many variations. You might see cream or broth added, garlic or onions cooked into the roux, cheese stirred in, or clam juice for my version of Fisherman’s Pie.

So, you can think of it this way: Every béchamel is a white sauce, but not every white sauce is a béchamel.

Here’s how to make a perfect, silky white sauce, rich, lump-free, and full of flavor!

• Melt the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter completely. Don’t let it brown, just melt it gently until it’s foamy.
• Make the roux: Add the flour all at once and whisk constantly for about 1-2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste and forms a smooth paste (called a roux). The color should stay pale and creamy. If it starts browning, your sauce will lose that classic “white” look.
• Add the milk slowly: Gradually pour in about ¼ cup of milk at a time, whisking constantly. Don’t rush this part! Adding the milk slowly helps prevent lumps. Once it starts to thin out, you can add the rest of the milk more quickly.
• Simmer and thicken: Keep whisking until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer. As it heats, it will thicken, this takes about 5–7 minutes. If it becomes too thick, just whisk in a splash more milk. Make sure to keep the heat low to medium-low.
• Season and finish: Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, season with salt, pepper, and our Fisherman’s Pie secret ingredients!

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How to Keep Your Fisherman’s Pie Creamy and Dense, Not Soupy

Seafood produces a LOT of moisture while cooking. This recipe calls for 2 1/2 pounds of seafood, but a lot of that weight is essentially water, so the volume will decrease once the seafood has had a chance to cook down a little.

There are a few ways to prevent your casserole from becoming a soupy mess while baking in the oven – the first way to to precook your seafood if using fresh. This helps to cook off some of the moisture and also give the casserole a nice fond (residual seafood flavor) that infuses the pie with even more briny love.

If you’re worried about the seafood getting tough from precooking, not to worry! Cooking the seafood in milk or cream ensures it stays succulent and tender while making sure it’s getting cooked thoroughly to be safe to eat.

Tips for Using Frozen Seafood

If you are using frozen seafood- which I know is very common and probably the more accessible way people will make this recipe – then you need to defrost and drain the seafood first before cooking it. Freezing and defrosting forces the moisture that was previously stuck in the tissue of the seafood out of the cellular wall, and so it “weeps” a lot easier than fresh seafood. Because of this reason, draining the seafood is highly recommend for this recipe to keep the pie from getting too water logged.

Place the seafood in a colander and then place the colander in a large mixing bowl. Place a small plate on top of the seafood. Put a light weight on top of the plate to help press the seafood gently to release some of its moisture, like a tub of yogurt. You don’t want to crush the seafood, just give it a gentle press. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the seafood drain for at least 30 minutes.

The Ultimate Fisherman’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 leek, trimmed and sliced
• 1 lb thick white fish cut into 1 inch pieces, such as cod, flounder or hake
• ½ lb medium sized shrimp, peeled
• ½ lb shelled bay scallops
• ½ mussels, shelled
• 4-5 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp freshy parsley, minced
• White Sauce
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1½ cups milk
• ½ cup clam juice
• pinch salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Add in the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes until a fork can easily pierce through the center of a potato piece.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat until foamy but not browned.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
5. Gradually whisk in the milk, a ¼ cup at a time, until all the milk is used. Stir in the clam juice. Keep whisking to prevent the bottom from scorching.
6. Let the white sauce simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
7. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the chopped parsley and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
8. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot while still hot.
9. Mash the potatoes while stirring in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
10. Heat a large oven safe pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the butter and swirl around until foamy.
11. Add in the sliced leeks and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
12. Add in the white fish and shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, taking care not to break the fish into small bits. Fish and shrimp release a lot of moisture while cooking, and this “pre-cooking” helps to keep the pie from becoming soupy.
13. Mix in the mussels and scallops and stir gently to combine all the seafood.
14. Pour over the prepared white sauce and then shake the pan from side to side to have the sauce fall into any gaps between the seafood.
15. Top the seafood mixture with the mashed potatoes- at this point you can add a design such as tracing a fork through the potatoes or using the back of a spoon to create scalloped edges. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
16. Bake at 375F for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.

If you enjoyed this recipe for Fisherman’s Pie, help support this project by leaving a star rating and a comment! You can also check out these other yummy and easy one pot recipe ideas! Happy snacking!

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