Fish pie with swede mash recipe

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Swap the usual potato topping for a sweet, earthy swede mash instead with this fish pie with swede mash recipe...

Fish pie with swede mash
(Image credit: Future)
Serves4
SkillEasy
Preparation Time10 mins
Cooking Time50 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories410 Kcal21%
Saturated Fat7 g35%
Fat17 g24%
Carbohydrates24 g9%

Our fish pie with swede mash serves four and takes an hour to make

This lightly spiced twist on the humble fish pie makes a great prep-ahead midweek meal. We’ve used defrosted, fish pie mix but feel free to use a selection of fresh fish if you prefer. Salmon, cod, and haddock are popular options but you can experiment with your favourite combination. For a touch of luxury, consider adding some prawns to the mix. 

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 20g butter
  • 1 leek, washed well and sliced
  • 20g plain flour
  • 400ml milk
  • 200g frozen spinach, defrosted
  • 350-400g frozen fish pie mix, defrosted
  • 2tsp garam masala
  • 3tsp chopped dill

For the topping:

  • 500-600g swede
  • 500g celeriac
  • 2 carrots
  • 1⁄2tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1⁄4tsp Dijon mustard

You will need:

  • 25cm round oven-proof dish

WEIGHT CONVERTER

to

Method

  1. For the topping, peel and chop the swede, celeriac and carrots into similar-sized chunks. Put into a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain, then mash with the nutmeg and mustard, and season to taste.
  2. Put the eggs into a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Once boiling, cook for 7 minutes. Rinse under cold water then peel and halve each egg.
  3. Heat the oven to 200C Fan/ Gas 7. In a separate pan, melt the butter. Add the leek and sizzle for 5 minutes until soft. Over a medium heat, stir in the flour, then mix in the milk, a little at a time, to make a smooth paste. Let it bubble, stirring regularly, until thick. Off the heat, mix in the spinach, fish, garam masala and dill. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour half the mixture into the dish, lay the eggs on it and top with the remainder of the fish mixture. Cover with the mash, using a fork to make a textured top. Bake for 25 minutes.

Top tips for making our fish pie with swede mash

We’ve used Dijon mustard in the mash but you can use wholegrain or English mustard if you prefer. Alternatively, if you don’t like the flavour, feel free to leave out the mustard completely. 

How can I bulk out my fish pie filling?

Consider adding peas and sliced mushrooms to the fish pie filling to bulk it out further. This will help you serve more people or have leftovers that can be enjoyed for lunch. 

Is swede healthier than potato?

Swede is a hearty root vegetable that works as a great substitute for potatoes and is lower in carbohydrates. Swede also has 18.8mg of vitamin C per 100g and is an excellent source of fiber, potassium, and other nutrients. 

Can I prepare this fish pie with swede mash ahead?

To make the fish pie ahead we recommend allowing the creamy leek mixture to cool completely before adding the spinach, fish, garam masala, and dill. 

Also, make sure the swede mash is cool before assembling. The assembled pie can stay in the fridge for a couple of hours before baking in a hot oven. It may need an extra 5-10 minutes if cooking straight from the fridge. You must check it is piping hot before serving. 

If you are making the fish pie with fresh fish, it can be assembled up to two days ahead.

Profile picture of Jessica Ransom
Jessica Ransom

“If you don’t want to ditch potatoes completely for your mash topping, consider using half potato and half swede. You’ll benefit from some of the reduced carbs, get a little boost of sweetness  and lots of other nutrients and minerals that you wouldn’t consume if using 100 percent potatoes.” 

For a smooth swede mash we recommend using a potato ricer such as this one from VonShef.

VonShef Potato Ricer Masher - View at Amazon 

VonShef Potato Ricer Masher - View at Amazon 

When you’re not making mash, use this ricer for fruit purees and smoothies. It comes with a two-year warranty and is easy to clean.

Try our classic fish pie recipe if you don’t like the flavour of garam masala. You might also like this quick and easy fish pie or this Slimming World fish pie recipe has a creamy Quark potato topping. 

Rose Fooks
Deputy Food Editor

Rose Fooks is Deputy Food Editor at Future Publishing, creating recipes, reviewing products and writing food features for a range of lifestyle and home titles including GoodTo and Woman&Home. Before joining the team, Rose obtained a Diplome de Patisserie and Culinary Management at London’s Le Cordon Bleu. Going on to work in professional kitchens at The Delaunay and Zedel.

With contributions from