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This Salmon Fish Pie is about to become your new family favourite. Juicy flakes of salmon and smoked bacon are baked in a supremely cheesy herby sauce and crowned with a buttery potato and parsnip mash topped with golden cheddar cheese. A fabulous naturally gluten-free version of an old-school British classic.
Your regular Fish Pie has never felt so luxurious yet we still retain the same homely cosy vibe that you expect from this comforting classic dish.
Is Fish Pie gluten free?
A traditional fish pie recipe is not gluten free. It usually creates the creamy white sauce which encases the fish by using a roux made of butter and flour then adding milk to make the sauce.
How do we make this Fish Pie gluten free?
This ultra cheesy and creamy salmon pie eschews flour completely by making the sauce from a combination of cream cheese, crème fraiche and cheddar cheese. This creates a velevety smooth sauce, soaring with cheese flavour but with a slight tang from the crème fraiche. It’s an absolutely divine naturally gluten-free fish pie!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- If Fish Pie for you is all about the gorgeous chunks of salmon which always seems too few in a regular recipe then this luxury fish pie is especially for you.
- A slight smoky edge is retained by the inclusion of smoked streaky bacon which gives flavour and a lovely meaty bite to the pie.
- We’ve got so much cheese going on. The sauce is made from cream cheese with plenty of cheddar melted in for a thick cheesy sauce. Then we have more cheese sprinkled over the top for a beautifully golden crust.
- The regular mashed potato on your homely fish pie is swapped for half parsnip. The sweetness of this root vegetable is a perfect counterpoint to the rich flavours beneath.
- This Cheesy Fish Pie is so easy to make, since we don’t bother with making a roux and the sauce kind of makes itself. Much quicker than the original method.
Watch how to make it
What is the best way to buy salmon for this recipe?
It is important to buy salmon from sustainable sources. If you are using fresh salmon then make sure you use it on the day you buy it. The flesh needs to be pink and moist.
If buying from a fishmonger you can ask for the salmon to be de-boned, de-skinned and diced so it’s all ready to use.
You could also use frozen salmon, you don’t need to defrost the salmon first but use it straight from frozen.
What other ingredients do we need?
For the filling
- Bacon – we use smoked steaky bacon for bags of flavour. Make sure it’s from a quality source.
- Butter – use unsalted so you can check for seasoning and adjust yourself. Some bacon is much more salty than others.
- Leek – we choose a leek rather than an onion for a softer flavour and lovely texture in the sauce.
- Celery – the difference between organic celery and more basic celery is especially astounding. For the best flavour try to use organic.
- Carrot – hmm, I’m going to say the same about the carrots. Good quality veg is very important!
- Bay leaf – use fresh if you can.
- Fresh parsley – we use a lovely big handful of leaves, chopped finely and sprinkled into the sauce for a lovely herby flavour.
- Crème fraiche – Full fat is definitely better but of course you can use half fat if you prefer.
- Cream cheese – again, full fat is the key for the best flavour and creamiest sauce but light cream cheese is fine to use.
- Dijon mustard – you can switch it up for the more peppery English mustard if you want a little heat.
- Cheddar cheese – we use a gorgeous mature cheddar. The stronger the cheese the more powerful the taste. I suggest of medium maturation so it doesn’t overpower the salmon.
For the mash
- Potatoes – the best variety of potato to use here are good floury potatoes. Maris Pipers are excellent but King Edward or Rooster Potatoes are also fine to use.
- Parsnips – Use good firm vegetables, preferably organic if you can, for the best flavour.
- Butter – use unsalted so you can adjust the seasoning for yourself.
How to make it
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
The steps are simple:
For the filling
- Fry the bacon, leek, celery and carrot gently in melted butter.
- Add the bay leaf and parsley and cook until the veg is soft.
- Stir in the crème fraiche, cream cheese, dijon and half of the cheddar cheese and cook until just bubbling then remove from the heat.
- Scatter the diced salmon in the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Pour the sauce over the salmon.
For the mash
- Chop the parsnips and potatoes into equal sizes.
- Boil for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Drain. Place the butter into the same saucepan the potatoes were cooked in and melt. Add the potatoes and parsnips back in.
- Mash into the butter and add salt.
- Scoop the mash on top of the fish pie filling, covering completely.
- Grate cheddar over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Tips for making Salmon Fish Pie
- For even cooking dice the leek, celery and carrot into similar sized pieces.
- In the same way chop the parsnips and potatoes into equal sizes so they boil at the same speed.
- The salmon is not cooked before the sauce is added. This way the salmon cooks to perfection in the oven.
- When you are mashing the potatoes and parsnips it’s essential to warm the butter up before putting the potato and parsnip back into the saucepan to avoid a gluey texture. In the same vein try not to over mash the vegetables.
- Use a fork to rough up the surface of the potato and parsnip mash. This will catch in the oven and make the topping ultra crisp and golden.
Variations to try
- Swap out some of the salmon. You can vary the fish in this recipe. Either use half salmon and half white fish (e.g. cod, pollock or haddock)
- Add another root vegetable into the mash. I’ve used swede (rutabaga) instead of the parsnip which is delicious. You could even use a mix of all three.
Can you make in advance?
I recommend making the whole recipe, including cooking it in the oven if you would like to make it in advance. It will keep, well wrapped in foil in its baking dish, for up to 2 days. Since this is fish I wouldn’t recommend any longer.
How to re-heat
Unwrap the baking dish from the foil and bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes until piping hot so the sauce is bubbling from beneath.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, allow the pie to fully cool before wrapping well in cling film and aluminium foil. You can freeze for up to 2 months. Fully defrost the pie in the fridge before re-heating as above.
What to serve with it
This Salmon Fish Pie is absolutely delicious with green vegetables. Steamed broccoli, kale or savoy cabbage are particular favourite. A leafy green salad is also a good choice.
More salmon recipes you’ll love!
More gluten-free family style recipes you'll love
I urge you to give this Cheesy Salmon Fish Pie with Bacon a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Cheesy Salmon Fish Pie with Bacon
Ingredients
- 600 g salmon - skinless and boneless, diced
- 200 g smoked streaky bacon
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 leek - finely chopped
- 1 celery - finely chopped
- 2 carrots - peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- handful of fresh parsley leaves - finely chopped
- 200 g crème fraiche
- 150 g cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 120 g cheddar cheese - grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 700 g potatoes - about 4 regular sized, peeled and cubed
- 300 g parsnips - about 2, peeled and cubed
- 100 g unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C /fan 160°C/ gas mark 4.
- Melt the butter in a large wide bottomed pan.
- Add the bacon, leek, celery and carrot and fry gently for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the bay leaf and parsley and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Add in the crème fraiche, cream cheese, dijon, half of the cheddar cheese and black pepper and stir together until a smooth sauce has formed. Cook gently until just bubbling then remove from the heat.
- Chop the parsnips and potatoes into equal sizes then place into a large saucepan and fill with cold water. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft. Then drain.
- Melt the butter in the same saucepan the potatoes were cooked in.
- Pour the potatoes and parsnips into the saucepan and mash well. Add a little salt.
- To assemble, place the cubed salmon into the bottom of a large baking dish and pour the sauce over the top in an even layer.
- Scoop the potato on top and spread out with the back of a fork roughing up the surface but make sure the sauce is fully covered.
- Scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over the top and place in the oven for 30 minutes until bubbling and the cheese has turned golden.
Video
Notes
Inspiration
This idea of leaving out the roux and making a sauce from crème fraiche, cream cheese and cheddar was originally inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Fantastic Fish Pie recipe, although his is slightly different as he uses double cream and cheddar.Ingredient Substitutions
Salmon – you can swap half the salmon for white fish (e.g. cod, pollock, haddock)Bacon – you can use back bacon or unsmoked bacon
Crème fraiche – you can use half-fat.
Cream cheese – you can use light cream cheese.
Cooking Tips
- For even cooking dice the leek, celery and carrot into similar sized pieces.
- In the same way chop the parsnips and potatoes into equal sizes so they boil at the same speed.
- When you are mashing the potatoes and parsnips it’s essential to warm the butter up before putting the potato and parsnip back into the saucepan to avoid a gluey texture. In the same vein try not to over mash the vegetables.
- Use a fork to rough up the surface of the potato and parsnip mash. This will catch in the oven and make the topping ultra crisp and golden.
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