Seafood Pie

Cozy up with a taste of the coast: Homemade Seafood Pie.

This year, I’m bringing more delicious food to your table, starting with a recipe inspired by my recent travels. While exploring Ireland last September, I fell in love with a seafood pie in Howth, a charming seaside town near Dublin. This comforting dish, a blend of creamy seafood and fluffy mashed potatoes, perfectly captures the warmth and charm of my Irish adventure. I could not wait to share this recipe with you so you can enjoy a taste of the seaside at home.

Tips

why you poach your fish first

In the recipe below, I have you cook your fish in milk before adding it to the pie. The reason for this is to remove any excessive water that will come out during the cooking process. Allowing the filling to stay creamy and not watery.

a melody of fish in every bite

For this recipe, I used only two types of seafood; white fish (I’ve used Cod and halibut) and shrimp (or prawns). This dish was inspired by a seafood pie I had in Howth, Ireland. In that seafood pie, they included mussels and clams. Feel free to put as much seafood in here as you’d like. Be warned, you will need to make more of the cream mixture to accommodate. Anything over a pound and a half of seafood, you’ll need to add additional milk, flour and butter.

Seafood pie

Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Serving size: 6 – 8

Gather

for mashed potatoes

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tablespoon salt (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ to ½ cup milk

For the filling

• 1 pound white fish or fish mixture, cut into cubes
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 4½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup shallots, chopped
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
• ½ tablespoon dill
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• ½ pound small shrimp
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup Asiago cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Follow

mashed potatoes

1. Add the potatoes to a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook until tender. Mash with a ricer or fork. Add butter, salt and pepper. Add a little milk at a time until the potatoes are fluffy but still hold their shape. (Add less milk if you plan to do any piping or art with your potatoes.)
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a casserole dish by greasing it with butter. 

For seafood pie

1. In a large pot, add the fish, milk and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain into a large measuring cup (you want to keep the milk). Remove leaves and set fish aside.
2. In the same pot, over medium heat, add butter. Once the butter is melted, add shallots, cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until there are no more dry spots.
3. Slowly pour in the milk broth while whisking. Add tarragon, dill, nutmeg, black pepper and salt. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Add fish, shrimp and peas and combine. Once combined, add ¼ cup of Asiago cheese.
4. Pour the filling into the baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and pour melted butter on top. I recommend placing the dish on a baking sheet, or putting foil down, to catch anything that will bubble over. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve in a bowl sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Sometimes I enjoy this dish with a nice crunchy piece of bread.