Here's a simple and delicious fish pie that's creamy and comforting and full of flavor. Portion this seafood shepherd's pie into individual casserole dishes for company, or bake your ling fish pie recipe in one large dish for the perfect family dinner.
As a seafood-focused recipe developer, I spend a lot of time thinking about, ordering, shopping for and cooking fish. And while many seafood recipes are light and flavorful, sometimes you need a warm, filling recipe to serve the people you love.
That's exactly what I had in mind with this fish pie. Sophisticated comfort food at it's finest, this recipe uses ling fillets or your favorite white fish fillets to create a savory, creamy fish pie that everyone in your family will love.
If you love traditional Irish shepherd's pie, this pescatarian version, full of leeks, peas and fresh herbs, will be a welcomed sight on your dinner table and one of your new favorite fish recipes.
For more cozy seafood dishes, try my Salmon Wellington Pot Pie and New England Seafood Casserole.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Ling: good alternatives for using ling fillets in this recipe would be haddock, hake, pollack, plaice or monkfish.
Leeks: the perfect companion for our ling. Leeks bring subtle onion flavor to this sophisticated dish. Substitute shallots, yellow onion or scallions.
Celery: I love the flavor of celery in a seafood pie. If you'd rather skip it, add extra leeks or pick a green veggie you prefer, like bite-sized pieces of fresh green beans or diced carrots.
Mashed potatoes: made from scratch is great, or make this easy recipe even quicker by grabbing the ready-made variety at the grocery store.
Gruyere cheese: I find nutty swiss to be the perfect compliment to the creamy fish pie. Cheddar and Parmesan cheese are ideal substitutes in this easy dinner.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cook vegetables
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Saute leeks, celery and fresh thyme leaves in butter for 6-8 minutes, until tender and fragrant. Add garlic and more butter. Sauté until butter melts, about 1 minute.
2. Build creamy sauce
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and butter. Stir to combine, cooking off the flour for 2-3 minutes. Add milk, bay leaf and stock cube. Stir and allow the sauce to come up to a simmer.
Add dry mustard and lemon zest. Stir, then taste and adjust seasoning. The flavor should be a little too salty at this stage.
3. Add white fish chunks
Next, add your ling fish, cut into chunks. Stir to coat in the sauce and let the pan come back up to a simmer. Finally, add peas to the fish pie filling.
Stir and remove from the heat. The fish will not be cooked through. Pour the hot mixture into your baking dish.
4. Prep mash potatoes
To your prepared mashed potatoes, add shredded cheese and mix thoroughly. Taste and add salt and black pepper to taste.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the fish pie. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top, then use a fork to lightly scrape a criss-cross pattern across the potatoes. This will create texture and assist the browning.
5. Bake until golden
Transfer the baking dish to the hot oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are heated. Switch to broil for 3-4 minutes, and remove from the oven once the potato topping is golden brown.
6. Serve and enjoy
Once removed from oven, leave the fish pie undisturbed for 6-8 minutes, then top with remaining diced parsley and serve.
Can I use frozen fish in this recipe?
I used fresh ling when I made this recipe for the photos, but I've made it multiple times using frozen and thawed white fish, dried well using a paper towel. For best results, thaw your fish fillets in the refrigerator overnight before drying well and adding to the recipe.
Are ling fish good to eat?
The common ling, or white ling, is a delicious fish and a member of the codfish family. Ling is firm, tender and moist, with great texture and large flakes.
Ling is a white fish of the same family as the Atlantic cod. While ling is not a common fish in the US, it is quite popular along the eastern coast of Canada and in Iceland and Norway, where I enjoyed it several times on a recent visit. It's a lovely white fish, slightly firmer fillets than regular cod, making it perfect for poaching and baking in this recipe.
What sides to serve with fish pie?
The pescatarian shepherd's pie is full of savory veggies, so it can be a complete meal in one pan! But if you're looking to add a vegetable side to the star of the show, try a Tossed Salad or Lemon Garlic Seasoned Green Beans.
Ling Fish Pie Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cup leaks, cleaned, halved and sliced
1 cup celery, cleaned and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
4 garlic cloves, grated
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 seafood or veggie stock cube
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 pound ling fish fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup green peas, frozen
5 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup gruyere (or cheddar), shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cups leeks, 1 cup celery and 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves to a large skillet. Saute over medium for 6-8 minutes, until tender and fragrant. Add 4 cloves of grated garlic and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Saute until butter melts, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to combine, cooking off the flour for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 ¼ cups whole milk, bay leaf and stock cube. Stir to combine and allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Add dry mustard and lemon zest. Stir, then taste and adjust seasoning. The flavor should be a little too salty at this stage. Next, add your ling fish, cut into chunks. Stir to coat in the sauce and let the pan come back up to a simmer. Finally, add peas to the fish pie filling. Stir and remove from the heat. The fish will not be cooked through. Pour the hot mixture into your baking dish.
- To your prepared mashed potatoes, add cheese and mix thoroughly. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the fish pie. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top, then use a fork to lightly scrape a criss-cross pattern across the potatoes. This will create texture and assist the browning.
- Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are heated. Switch to broil for 3-4 minutes, and remove from oven once the potato topping is golden brown.
- Leave the fish pie undisturbed for 6-8 minutes, then top with remaining diced parsley and serve.
Notes
Substitute your favorite white fish fillets for ling, if needed.
When adding the mashed potato layer, use an offset spatula to smooth the top, then use a fork to lightly scrape a criss-cross pattern across the potatoes. This will create texture and assist the browning.
Storage and Reheating
To store, transfer leftover fish pie to an airtight container or wrap the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm gently in the microwave at 50% power until heated through, or in the oven at 350℉. The seafood pie should only be reheated once.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Oven and Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, Irish
Gerald
Made it with haddock and it was a hit. Well-seasoned creamy sauce and the addition of cheese in the potato topping was spot on. A great recipe.
Christina Jolam
Haddock is a great option in this recipe, Gerald. Good call! Appreciate you coming back to leave a helpful review.