Fish pie
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
A family classic: white fish and salmon poached in milk, a sauce made from the poaching milk, and a mashed potato top.
- Serves 6
- About 1 hr 30 min
- Oven
- Best for: KS3 (ages 11–14)
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes
- 60 g butter, split: 20 g for the mash, 40 g for the sauce – contains milk
- 650 ml milk, split: 50 ml for the mash, 600 ml for poaching – contains milk
- 350 g skinless white fish fillets (such as cod or pollock) – contains fish
- 250 g skinless salmon fillets – contains fish
- 40 g plain flour – contains gluten
- 100 g frozen peas
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ lemons, zest only
- 50 g Cheddar cheese, grated – contains milk
Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- peeler
- chopping board for vegetables
- separate chopping board and knife for raw fish
- large saucepan
- colander
- potato masher
- deep frying pan or wide saucepan
- slotted spoon
- measuring jug
- balloon whisk
- ovenproof dish
- grater
- food thermometer
- oven gloves
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: gluten, fish, milk.
- Keep raw fish away from ready-to-eat food: use a separate board and knife, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after touching it.
- Carry knives pointing down, put them down flat, and never leave one in the washing-up water.
- Turn pan handles inwards and keep the area around the hob clear.
- Use dry oven gloves for anything that has been in the oven or under the grill.
Allergens: Cereals containing gluten, Fish, Milk. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Teacher-led: Peel and chop the potatoes and boil until soft. Drain and mash with 20 g butter and 50 ml milk. (20 min)
- On the raw-fish board, cut the fish into large chunks, feeling for bones. Put the raw-fish board and knife straight into hot soapy water and wash your hands.
- Teacher-led: Put the fish in the wide pan, pour over 600 ml milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach until the fish just flakes, then lift it out with the slotted spoon. Keep the milk – it has the fish flavour. (6 min)
- Teacher-led: Melt 40 g butter, stir in the flour for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the poaching milk and simmer until thick. Stir in the peas, parsley and lemon zest. (6 min)
- Teacher-led: Turn the oven on to 200 °C (180 °C fan, gas 6).
- Put the fish in the dish in big flakes, pour over the sauce, spread the mash on top and grate over the cheese.
- Teacher-led: Bake until golden and bubbling at the edges. (30 min)
- Teacher-led: Check the middle with a food thermometer: both fish must be opaque all the way through (the white fish white, the salmon pale pink, neither glassy) and flake easily, and the pie must be steaming hot – at least 75 °C.
What this recipe teaches
Boiling and simmering, Handling raw meat and fish safely, Poaching and steaming, Making a sauce (roux), Using an oven safely, Assembling a dish, Checking food is cooked safely. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children and closely supervised for older pupils.
Nutrition per serving
| Energy | 1973 kJ / 471 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 19.4 g |
| of which saturates | 9.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 47.3 g |
| of which sugars | 7.9 g |
| Fibre | 4.8 g |
| Protein | 29.7 g |
| Salt | 0.66 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, Public Health England). Brands vary – check labels. Figures for semi-skimmed milk (the recipe finder shows the other choices).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021, Public Health England.
Eatwell Guide groups in this recipe: Fruit and vegetables; Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins; Dairy and alternatives. Learn about the Eatwell Guide.
Foods high in fat, salt or sugar sit outside the Eatwell Guide – enjoy them less often and in small amounts.
Curriculum links
- KS3 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet”
- KS3 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes]”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.