A simple celeriac topped fish pie recipe that’s super cosy and quick and easy to prepare. It's perfect to be portioned into ramekins and frozen for quick toddler meals. Or you can cook it in a big dish for the perfect family supper.
There's not much better that cosy and warming pies as the weather starts to get colder. This week, in the UK, we've had pretty warm temperatures for this time of year, but it's actually supposed to drop to -10C next week. I know that's no big deal to all my people who have had snow this week, but for us it's a little on the chilly side.
So, what better way to warm up than with a warming and delicious fish pie that comes together in about 40 minutes. You can probably make it in 30 minutes, but I'm giving us all an extra few minutes, because why rush the good stuff.
Unlike a lot of fish pies this one is gluten free AND it's potato free. Instead of mashed potato I've used celeriac. It's just another creative way to get more vegetables without feeling like you're missing out on anything. So, this simple fish pie it's nothing but lean fish, vegetables and milk.
It is also perfect for meal planning. You can make it on your meal prep day and freeze it as a whole pie for the family. You can also make smaller portions and defrost them as you need them. And this fish pie is also a major hit with kids, who may not always want to eat fish and vegetables and all the things that are good for them.
I've deliberately kept the ingredient list simple so that if you are making this on a cold winter night, you've got something with maximum cosiness that takes minimum ingredients. Dinners like this are all the rage these days!
So what do you need to make simple celeriac topped fish pie?
- 250g (½ pound) fish pie mix.
- butter or margarine with cornflour
- milk
- handful of frozen peas
- parsely
- celeriac
So essentially we're making a roux, just a mix of a starch and butter. In this case we're using cornstarch (cornflour) and butter. To that we're adding the milk and creating a sauce that's creamy and smooth, but without all the fat and calories from using real cream. In the case of fish pie, I find the use of real cream far to rich a match for the fish and it ends up being just too over the top. Remember, dishes like this fish pie are historically considered to be peasant food and so the use of luxurious ingredients can often overwhelm the taste and indeed the spirit of the dish.
But that's perfect for us. On cold dark Monday nights we are all about this humble and cosy simple celeriac topped fish pie.
Simple Celeriac Topped Fish Pie
Ingredients
- 250 g 1 pound fish pie mix
- 400 ml 1 ¾ cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons cornflour
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 onion chopped (optional)
- Grating of nutmeg optional
For the Celeriac Mash
- 1 small celeriac peeled and diced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the celeriac mash.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the outer bark off the celeriac and dice into 1 inch cubes.
- Once the celeriac is tender and cooked through, drain off and return to the pan.
- Add the butter and milk and mash the same way you would mash potatoes.
For the fish pie filling.
- Preheat the oven to 170℃ or 350℉
- Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan (if using the onion add it now, and let it sweat gently for about 5 minutes before adding the cornflour) If not using the onion, add the cornflour.
- Mix to make a thick paste and let cook for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the milk and scrape the bottom of the pan, loosening any brown bits.
- Bring the milk to the boil and let simmer for about 2 minutes until the mixture is thickened.
- Add the frozen peas and the fish mix. Let simmer gently for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley.
- Place the fish mixture into an oven proof baking dish.
- Top with the celeriac mash and some fresh pepper.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Thrifty Campers says
This surely is a creative dish. It looks really yummy.
Debs says
Thanks so much!