Fish pie with watercress sauce recipe

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A family classic with a twist, this fish pie with watercress sauce is a doddle to whip up and packed full of goodness.

Serves2–3
SkillEasy
Preparation Time20 mins
Cooking Time55 mins
Total Time1 hours 15 mins

This family-friendly fish pie with watercress sauce recipe will be loved by adults and children alike. Packed with veggies and flaky white haddock, a great source of vitamins and proteins, this is a hearty and healthy dish that will quickly become a favourite. This dish is also suitable for freezing, so it's a great one to make in advance.

Like this? You're going to love our classic fish pie recipe!

Ingredients

  • 800g potatoes
  • 1 handful fresh mint leaves
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 2 handfuls of rinsed watercress (very large stalks removed)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Crunch of black pepper
  • 150ml double cream
  • 2 MSC certified sustainable haddock fillets skinned and boned (or other sustainable white fish)
  • 150g frozen peas
  • Large knob of unsalted butter
  • Two whisked eggs (optional)

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Peel the potatoes, chop into quarters and drop into a large pan of cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil on the hob then reduce to a medium simmer. If you have a steamer pan, use the bottom part to boil your potatoes and then you can use the same water to steam your fish over the top. Pop a timer on for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, put the mint, parsley, watercress, lemon juice, peeled garlic clove, black pepper and cream into a high speed blender, and blend until smooth.
  4. When the timer goes off on the potatoes, add the fish fillets to the steamer, along with the peas. Put the lid on and steam for 5-10 minutes, or until the fish is soft and flaky and the peas and potatoes just tender (timing depends on the size of the fish fillets). This does cook surprisingly quickly though so don't leave it! Alternatively, you can poach the fish and peas in water in a separate saucepan. The saucepan needs to be wide enough to allow space for the fish to sit completely under the water. Simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the fish is flaky and the peas tender. (The total cooking time for the potatoes is 20-25 minutes).
  5. Turn your steamer off and put the fish onto a plate and break into flakes (ensuring there are no bones). Drain the potatoes and mash in a bowl with the butter and whisked eggs. The eggs give the potato a wonderful golden crust when baked, but can be left out if you prefer.
  6. Now to create your pie. Put the flaked fish and green peas into a ceramic dish 25cm x 15cm, by 5cm deep (or 3 individual portion sized dishes). Pour over the green sauce and stir through. Spoon the mashed potato on top, carefully pressing the potato to the edge of the dish to seal in the contents. Fork over the mash to create a beautiful finish.
  7. Pop the pie into your preheated oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the potato is nice and golden
  8. Mash or blend to desired consistency, or serve as it is for older babies/toddlers.
Top Tip for making Fish pie with watercress sauce

If you don't have a steamer, you can simply poach the fish in a saucepan of water for the same time along with the peas.

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies