Salmon and broccoli pie
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
A luscious, creamy fish pie, packed with salmon and broccoli and topped with a fluffy mashed potato. A great recipe for busy households or for batch cooking, as it keeps really well in the fridge and freezer.
Ingredients
- 600ml/20fl oz milk
- ½ medium onion, finely sliced
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 fresh salmon fillets (around 280g/10oz)
- 35g/1¼oz butter
- 35g/1¼oz plain flour
- 50g/1¾oz mature Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- ½ small unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only
- small bunch (around 10g) fresh dill, roughly chopped (optional)
- 200g/7oz broccoli, cut into small florets (see tip)
- sea salt and black pepper
For the mash
- 900g/2lb floury potatoes, preferably Maris Piper, peeled and cut into 3–4cm/1¼–1½in chunks
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk
Method
A third fill a large saucepan with water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water, cover loosely with a lid and return to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until very tender but not falling apart.
Meanwhile, pour the milk into a medium saucepan, add the sliced onion and bay leaf and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Place the salmon carefully into the warm milk skin-side up. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes (do not allow to boil). Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and set aside for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander, then return to the pan and mash with the butter until smooth. Beat in the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Boil the broccoli florets in a separate pan for 2 minutes and drain well.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Strain the fish through a sieve into a large bowl, reserving the milk. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Gradually add the reserved milk, whisking well between each addition, until smooth. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir in the grated cheese, lemon zest and dill, if using. Whisk over a medium heat for 2 minutes or until thickened, smooth and creamy (use a silicone covered whisk if making the sauce in a non-stick pan). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Break the fish into chunks, removing any skin or bones. Stir the fish and broccoli gently into the sauce. Divide between 3–4 small pie dishes, or a single 1 litre pie dish (see tip). Spoon the mashed potatoes on top, starting around the edges before moving into the centre. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
Recipe tips
You can cook the pie in assorted dishes, suited to the different appetites in your family. Make sure the total volume of different dishes isn’t more than 1 litre/1¾ pints or you may find you run out of potato to cover. To give you an idea, mini pie dishes usually hold 200–250ml/7–9fl oz.
Floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper and King Edwards, are perfect for making mashed potatoes. Simmer rather than boil so they don’t fall apart and drain well before mashing.
Cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets, so they are distributed evenly throughout the sauce. You’ll need around 175g/6oz broccoli florets once trimmed.
Individual enamel pie dishes work well for this recipe and mean the fish pieces are easy to freeze too – great if you are making ahead. Simply cover and freeze before baking. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then cook as above, adding 5–10 minutes extra time to account for the chill factor.
Cover leftover fish pie with kitchen foil, or transfer to a lidded container, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a microwave oven for the best results.
