Mary Berry Fish Pie With Creamy Mashed Potato Topping
A creamy, golden-crusted mashed potato topping covers a filling loaded with white and smoked haddock, with hard-boiled eggs adding their unique touch to this Mary Berry fish pie.
Ingredients
- 75 g (3 oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 50 g (2 oz) plain flour
- 600 ml (1 pint) milk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 350 g (12 oz) fresh haddock, cut into 1cm/½ in pieces
- 350 g (12 oz) smoked undyed haddock, cut into 1cm/½ in pieces
- 4 hard-boiled free-range eggs roughly chopped
Topping
- 900 g (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces
- 8 tablespoons hot milk
- 50 g (2 oz) butter
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (or 180°C for fan ovens) or Gas Mark 6, and generously grease a shallow ovenproof dish, measuring approximately 30 × 23cm (12 × 9 inches), using a little extra butter.
Prepare the Fish Pie Filling
- Begin by melting the butter in a pan over high heat and sautéing the onion for a few minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and increase the heat to eliminate any excess moisture. Gradually sprinkle in the flour, then slowly add the milk, continuously stirring to create a thickened sauce. Continue stirring until all the milk is mixed in. Season the sauce with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and add the lemon juice.
- Add the raw fish, cooking for a few minutes while stirring consistently until the fish is just cooked. Incorporate the smoked haddock into the mixture. Pour this mixture into the buttered dish and allow it to cool. Finally, add the hard-boiled eggs on top.
Prepare the Mashed Potatoes
- Cook the potatoes in a pot of salted water until they're tender. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot. Add milk and butter, and mash the potatoes until they're smooth and free of lumps. If you have a ricer, use it for an even smoother texture. Season the mashed potatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Assemble and Bake the Fish Pie
- Pipe the mashed potatoes in diagonal swirls over the fish mixture in the ovenproof dish or carefully spread them and create fork scores on top.
- Bake your creation in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the potato topping turns crisp and beautifully golden brown.
Notes
Tips
- Make Ahead: You can prepare and assemble all the pie without baking ahead of time. Just cover it with clingfilm and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before following the cooking instructions.
- Freezing the fish pie is not recommended, as hard-boiled eggs and mashed potato tend not to freeze well.
- Variations: If you'd like to switch things up, you can substitute haddock with salmon or other white fish like hake or cod (just ensure it's sustainably sourced). For added flavour, anchovy sauce is a fantastic option and can typically be found in the special ingredients section of well-stocked supermarkets.