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Salmon and Leek Fish Pie with Fluffy Potato

This is similar to the Fisherman’s pie, but much simpler and faster. The mashed potato has also been replaced by a rosti-like topping for a different texture. Note: I have not seen Chris consume so much fish in a long time.

6 servings

  • 600 g potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 500 g salmon steak/salmon belly
  • 90 ml milk
  • 200 ml vegetable or fish stock
  • 40 g salted butter
  • 40 g plain flour
  • 1 small leek, sliced
  • 1 tsp english mustard
  • 1 tsp dried or fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Add the potatoes to a pot of salted water and bring to boil. Remove the pot from heat but leave the potatoes in the water for another 5-10 minutes before draining the water. The water can be used to make the vegetable stock if desired.
  2. Put the salmon, stock and milk in another saucepan and bring to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the salmon and flake it, taking care to remove any bones. Leave the liquid to cool.
  3. Melt the butter in a frying pan, fry the leeks till soft and stir in the flour. Stir in the liquid slowly to incorporate the flour mixture. More stock can be added to achieve a pouring consistency. The final mixture should be a very thick liquid, but not a solid lump.
  4. Add the mustard, parsley and fish flakes, stir well. Add pepper and salt to taste.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the fish mixture in a baking dish and grate the potato coarsely over the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or till the tips of the potatoes are brown.
For a non-dairy version, the butter and milk can be replaced by soy margarine and soy milk respectively as in The SOY for Health cookbook. I, however, am a big fan of butter.
The potatoes should be cooked and drained early to ensure that they are dry before grating.
Salmon bellies are cheaper but oilier than salmon fillet steaks. Some people love the smoother texture and stronger taste of the bellies, some prefer the drier and flakier texture of the fillets. Experiment!
July 29th, 2010 | Category: Pescetarian, Western | Leave a comment

Fisherman’s Pie

This is like a shepherd’s pie, but made with seafood instead of mutton, and the cream sauce is made without cream. There are various steps to this pie which can be done concurrently, so its perfect for a cooking date! Dedicated to Lejia, Sheryl and Adeline.

Serves 5-6 people


  • 450 g potatoes
  • 1⅔ cup whole milk
  • 1 garlic, chopped
  • ½ onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 liter dashi or fish stock
  • 8 prawns, shelled and cleaned
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • ½ green capsicum, diced
  • 400 g deboned white fish, cut into chunks
  • ½ tsp dried basil or 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • White pepper, black pepper, salt—to taste
  • 7 tbsp butter
  1. Person 1: Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Add to salted boiling water and cook till tender.
  2. Reserve the cooking water and mash the potatoes till smooth, beat in 1/3 cup of milk and 3 tbsp of butter. Season with salt and black pepper.
  3. Person 2: Combine the rest of the milk with the fish, shrimp, onions and capsicum in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Person 3: Melt 4 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over a stove top stir in the flour. Heat for 2 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
  5. Person 2: Add the flour mixture to the pot, stir continuously. Add 1 tbsp of the mashed potato and the potato cooking water if the mixture becomes too thick. Stir in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Lay the cream mixture into the bottom of a large baking dish and top with the mashed potato. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or till slightly brown.
The fish can be replaced by leftover fish from the previous day. If doing so, just cook the fish for 5 minutes, straight from the refrigerator.
The mashed potato can be prepared 24 hours ahead.
Acknowledgment: This is an recipe adapted from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible.
May 1st, 2010 | Category: Pescetarian, Western | 2 comments