What to Serve with Fish Pie: Delicious Side Dishes
Fish pie is a classic comfort food that is both hearty and delicious. While it’s a satisfying dish on its own, serving it with the right side dishes can elevate the meal to a whole new level.
Fish pie is a traditional English dish that originated in Scotland. It consists of mashed potato, cod or salmon, creamy sauce, and vegetables such as peas, carrots, onions, leeks, mushrooms, and herbs.
The most common vegetable used for this dish is cabbage. Other vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and turnip.
This dish is called fish pie, also known as fisherman’s pie, because the topping is similar to that of shepherd’s pie in that it uses mashed potatoes.
What is Fish Pie Made of?
The base of this dish is usually made up of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are delicious on their own, but they become even more delicious when combined with other ingredients.
Mash potatoes are cooked until soft before being mixed with other ingredients. They are then placed into an oven to bake until golden brown.
What is the Difference Between an Ocean Pie and a Fish Pie?
An ocean pie is a pie filled with seafood. A fish pie is a pie filled only with fish.
What to Serve with Fish Pie?
You can serve fish pie with anything you want! There is no right or wrong way to eat it.
What Side Dishes Should be Served with Fish Pie?
Garlic Bread
When you consider what to serve with fish pie, garlic bread is a quick and easy option that everyone will love. Slice some crusty bread and top it with butter, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley.
Crispy Fried Halloumi Cheese
Halloumi cheese is a firm cheese that comes in many different flavors. It has a powerful flavor, so it works well with dishes that have intense flavors. For example, try serving crispy fried halloumi cheese with fish pie.
Fried Chicken
If you’re looking for something spicy, try serving fried chicken with fish pie. Fried chicken is one of my favorite foods, so it goes great with fish pie.
Fish pie with side dish salad. Credit: canva
Garden Salad
If you’re looking for something healthy, try adding a garden salad to your meal. Cut up tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and onion, and mix them. Top it off with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Homemade Potato Fries
Potato chips are great, but homemade potato fries taste better. To make these, boil some potatoes and cut them into strips. Fry them in a pan with a little bit of oil until they get crisp. Season them with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sweet Potato Fries
If you like sweet potato fries, try making them yourself. Boil some sweet potatoes and slice them. Then fry them in a pan with just a little bit of oil. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, and season them with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Green Beans
Try serving green beans with fish pie. Steam some green beans and toss them with lemon juice, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and add a dash of olive oil.
Fish pie with asparagus. Credit: canva
Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes. Roasting it brings out its natural sweetness, making it perfect for pairing with fish pie—Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the stalks and pat them dry. Place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time.
Buttered Corn
Buttered corn is a classic pairing for fish pie. The buttery flavor goes perfectly with the salty fish, and the sweetness of the corn takes care of the saltiness of the fish.
It’s a simple side dish that is perfect for when you need something fast and easy to put together.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted root vegetables are another quite versatile option. You could choose to do carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc.
They all have slightly different flavors, which give them a nice variety.
Steamed Veggies
Steaming is a great way to cook vegetables without losing nutrients. It keeps the vitamins intact and retains the natural sugars in the vegetable.
You may have heard about steaming broccoli rabe, but there are tons of other vegetables that you can steam. Just look at what’s available at your local grocery store, and see what looks appealing to you.
Baked Beans
Baked beans are one of those foods that everyone loves. They are hearty, delicious, and full of protein.
So, you know that baked beans will be a hit no matter what you pair them with.
Fried Eggplant
Fried eggplants are a unique addition to the world of food. They are a cross between a fruit and a vegetable.
That being said, they are not either. Instead, they are somewhere in between.
Fresh Fruit Salad
A simple yet refreshing fruit salad is perfect for summertime. Just cut up some apples, pears, bananas, and oranges. Add strawberries if you’d like. Mix everything, and enjoy!
Sticky Date Pudding
Date puddings are sweet desserts that come in many different shapes and sizes. One of the best things about them is that they are gluten-free.
Date puddings are perfect for dessert after a big meal. They are light and fluffy, making them an excellent choice for dessert.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are another simple snack that goes great with fish pie. These cookies are crunchy and chewy at the same time. They are deliciously served warm straight out of the oven.
What Wine Should be Served with Fish Pie?
When serving wine with fish pie, you want to keep in mind that fish needs acidity to balance out the meat’s richness.
The wine that has high tannins will work well here. If you don’t want to use red wine, white wine would also work well.
The most common wine used with fish pie is Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Both wines are good choices because they are both fruity and acidic.
If you’re looking for an alternative, try a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines tend to be lighter than their still counterparts. This makes them ideal for pairing with seafood dishes.
Fish pie with mashed potatoes. Credit: canva
How to Make Fish Pie?
Here’s the recipe for a Classic Fish Pie with a combination of fish, lots of veggies in a creamy white sauce, and topped with mashed potatoes.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hrs 10 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
For Mashed Potatoes:
2-pound potatoes such as Yukon, peeled and cut into cubes
3 tablespoon butter unsalted
⅔ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
For Fish Pie:
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 green onions cut into ½ pieces on the diagonal
2 medium carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cup milk
2 cups white cheddar shredded, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
2 pounds of raw fish mixed such as cod, halibut, and salmon, cut into 2-inch pieces.
1 cup frozen peas
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Make the mashed potatoes
Bring a large quantity of cold water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the cubed potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly.
Place the drained potatoes back in the saucepan or serving dish, add 3 tbsp of butter, ⅔ cup of milk, and ½ tsp salt, and mash with a potato masher until creamy using a spoon or fork. Set aside.
Make the fish filling.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Set a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the green onions, carrots, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the flour with the vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes to eliminate any raw flour flavor.
Slowly add the 2 cups of milk to the saucepan and whisk until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, and dill until the cheese melts.
Add in the fish and cook for 2=3 minutes more while gently mixing. Stir in the frozen peas and season with salt and pepper
Assemble the fish pie
Pour the fish mixture in a 9 x 13-inch oven-safe dish and top with the mashed potato topping. Smooth over using a spoon, then take a fork to scratch up the surface. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
Transfer the casserole to the oven and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
Garnish with more dill or parsley and serve.
Tips
What Fish Do You Use for Fish Pie?
You can use any type of fish that you like. Choose non-oily, fleshy white fish such as salmon, cod, smoked haddock, monkfish, and coley (aka pollock), similar to cod.
It is best to use fresh fish, and seasonal fish whenever possible. But frozen is fine as long as you defrost it first to avoid water in the bottom of the casserole dish. Using fish that isn’t adequately defrosted can lead to a watery fish pie.
How to Combat Soggy Fish Pie?
Fish pies last just as long as any other pie. However, the crust tends to get soggy faster than different pies.
To combat this problem, you can cover the top of the pie with foil before putting it into the oven. This will prevent moisture from escaping while baking.
Once the pie comes out of the oven, remove the foil and let it cool completely. Then, slice it up and enjoy!
How to Store Fish Pie?
If you have any leftover pie, make sure to let it cool down to room temperature first. You can then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze, allow the fish pie to cool completely. Store in individual airtight containers or one large container and freeze for up to 3 months.
