Cheesy Salmon Fish Pie with Bacon

5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Salmon Fish Pie with Bacon

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time18

Total Time48

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Servings: people

Calories: 775kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

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.

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.

Freeze

Allow the fish 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.

Nutrition