Mary Berry Fish Pie With Crushed Potato Topping

Mary Berry’s Fish Pie recipe with crushed potato topping is easy, healthy and delicious! The luxuriously creamy fish pie filling is packed with salmon, cod, haddock, leeks and spinach. The crushed potatoes provide texture and make this easy seafood dish hearty and just a little bit special!

Whenever I am a bit stuck for easy recipe ideas I just think WWMBD… If you didn’t catch that, it’s what would Mary Berry do? She is the queen of easy and foolproof and her fish pie recipes are both delicious and fuss-free.

Take this fish pie with crushed potato topping – it’s both hearty and healthy plus quicker than my other fish pie recipe with mashed potato topping. If you want to introduce more fish to your family meals this is the recipe for you!

Here’s What You’ll Need

I have made some tweaks to Mary’s recipe to make it easier, eliminating a few steps. Take a look at the ingredients so you can plan your next grocery shop.

• THE SAUCE is made with butter, flour and milk and it’s easy-peasy. Mary adds leeks which I think are a great touch but you could leave those out if preferred. The sauce is livened up by fresh dill and lemon zest. My husband suggested adding mustard too and I think he is right!
• FISH PIE FILLING – I used fish pie mixture which contains salmon, cod and smoked haddock rather than salmon and hake. This is purely for convenience since fish pie mix comes ready diced and skinless. You could play around with the fish combo to suit your preferences. The filling also contains spinach which is a great sneaky way to add some fresh greens into a fish pie!
• POTATO TOPPING – Instead of mashed potatoes we will be using crushed, a.k.a smashed, potatoes. I used small golden potatoes instead of new potatoes. A little olive oil and lemon juice is drizzled over the potatoes prior to baking.

How to Make Mary Berry’s Fish Pie

Prepare the Potato Topping

1. Boil the potatoes in cold salted water for 15-20 minutes or until they are cooked through. Drain well and crush the potatoes with fork, breaking them down into chunky and small pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and set aside.

Make the Fish Pie Filling

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the leeks and cook over low heat for a few minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the flour to make a paste. Gradually add the milk, stirring it in, so that the sauce is smooth. Bring to a low simmer and cook until it starts to thicken. Add the salt, pepper, lemon zest and half the dill.

1. Add the fish and cook for a couple of minutes then stir in the spinach so that it starts to wilt. Make sure to stir gently so the fish stays in one piece.

Assemble and Bake

1. Spoon the filling into a 2 liters / 2 quart  ovenproof baking dish and level. Spread the crushed potatoes over the top so that they cover the filling. Scatter remaining herbs on top.

1. Bake in a 200ºC (fan 180ºC) 400ºF preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden with crispy edges and the filling is bubbling through. (see recipe notes below for air fryer instructions).
2. Allow the fish pie to cool down for 10 minutes before serving. It is a full meal on its own but you could add some steamed vegetables on the side if you like.

Recipe Tips

• BAKE THE FISH PIE IN THE AIR FRYER You guys know how much I love my air fryer – especially now that I have the Ninja Megazone which has so much space I barely use my oven anymore! Make sure that your baking dish fits in the air fryer basket first. Bake at 170-180°C (340-360) for 20-25 minutes, adjusting the temperature if the potatoes are browning very quickly.
• STORING FISH PIE Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Make sure to reheat them until piping hot all the way through when serving.
• FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS Assemble the pie but don’t bake and cool down completely before wrapping with two layers of foil. Label and freeze for up to three months. Cook the fish pie from frozen, adding extra cooking time as needed – typically an extra 20 minutes.