Puff Pastry Topped Fish Pie

This puff pastry topped fish pie makes for a fancy, elegant and festive dish. It consists in a medley of salmon and cod, tossed together in a creamy white wine sauce with fennel, and topped with a crisp, golden flaky puff pastry.

I do have a thing for pot pies. The idea of a creamy savory filling topped with a flaky upper crust is something I just can’t get enough of. Now, what if we created a version with a seafood filling? I tried something similar in a restaurant located in the VanDusen Botanical Garden of Vancouver years ago, and I have been willing to recreate this recipe ever since.

I made my puff pastry fish pie a little fancier and more festive too. For the filling, I used a Swedish fish stew, and I topped it off with puff pastry instead of a butter crust. The result is light, crispy, and each spoonful of the fish casserole underneath a delight that seems to come from a very fancy restaurant!

Key ingredients

• Salmon and cod fillets. You will need both cod and salmon fillets, cut into same-size chunks, and with skin off for the salmon. I prefer fresh, but frozen would work too.
• Fennel. It adds some subtle flavors to the fish stew. Choose a small bulb that weighs about 8.8 ounces (250g).
• Cumin seeds. An essential part of the sauce, that also brings up loads of flavors. Make sure you use the whole seeds and in no way ground cumin, that is not suitable for this recipe.
• Fish fond. It provides aromatic flavors that deepens the natural flavors of the fish.
• Puff pastry. Either fresh or frozen and briefly thawed puff pastry work.
• Dill, to serve. It goes very well with fish, salmon in particular, and brings some subtle and refreshing aromas.

How to make this puff pastry topped fish pie

For the full detailed recipe, head over to the recipe card below. But essentially, this fish pie consists in two main parts:

• The fish stew. If you’ve never made fish stew before be reassured, the process is pretty simple. Sauté the vegetables first, then add the fish fond, white wine and cream. At this step, add some cornstarch and let simmer until it thickens. Don’t forget to cook the potatoes in the hot sauce. Now laddle a few spoonfuls of the sauce to the bottom of a baking pan, add the salmon and cod chunks on top, and cover with the remaining sauce.
• The puff pastry crust. I recommend store-bought puff pastry for easy use. Simply cover the fish stew with a sheet of puff pastry, make a few slits to allow the steam to escape while baking. Note that you can either make contact with the filling or simply cover the dish (I prefer this last option that guarantees a perfectly crispy crust). Brush with egg wash, and bake it off!

Make ahead and storing instructions

This fish pie is a fantastic dish to prepare a day ahead of time. Make it from start to finish, bake it, let cool and store in the refrigerator covered with foil. When ready to serve, simply reheat in the oven. Make sure you reheat long enough so the inside is very hot.

You can also store leftovers for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. This puff pastry fish pie also freeze very well. If doing so, I recommend you freeze with the unbaked puff pastry on top of the dish, without making contact with the stew itself. Bake as instructed in the recipe, prolonging the baking time a little until ready.

Recipe variations

As always, I love suggesting recipe variations, and this puff pastry topped fish pie is indeed a very versatile dish that’s easy to adapt. Find below a few suggestions:

• Create a fish stew out of it! This is actually something I’m willing to do often with this recipe. Simply cook the salmon and cod chunks in the white wine creamy sauce directly, until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes tender-fork. It’s a quicker version that still tastes amazing. Swedes call it “fiskgryta” and usually serve it with large slices of bread and butter. A rustic touch to a fancy dish!
• Replace the puff pastry with a homemade pie crust, using this recipe. Simply divide the quantities by two, since you’ll only need the top crust (while my pie dough recipe provides quantities for a bottom and top crust).
• Make your own puff pastry to top off this fish pot pie. Now let’s be honest here: this is something you’ll probably consider occasionally only, as it requires time and effort to create a puff pastry. If doing so, plan ahead, as you will need to start with the folding process a few days in advance.
• Replace fennel with leeks. A slightly different variant that also works very well with seafood. I recommend using 2 small leeks for this recipe, and proceed as you do with the fennel.
• Make a seafood pot pie (or a seafood stew). Basically this means you can add some shrimps to the stew, about 7 ounces (200g). If doing so, only use 10.5 ounces (300g) of each salmon and cod, to ensure there is enough sauce for the entire dish.

You may also like…

• Swedish Seafood Casserole with Saffron
• Best Vegetable Pot Pie
• Puff Pastry Salmon Wellington
• Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Star Wreath
• Fish Duo Crumble with White Wine Shallot Sauce

Puff Pastry Topped Fish Pie

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Category: Mains

This puff pastry topped fish pie makes for a fancy, elegant and festive dish. It consists in a medley of salmon and cod, tossed together in a creamy white wine sauce with fennel, and topped with a crisp, golden flaky puff pastry.

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Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion (or ½ large one), peeled and sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb (about 8.8 ounces / 250g), thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cup (2 small potatoes/230g) yellow potatoes, cubed into ½ inch cubes (approx. 1 cm)
• 1 ½ cup (about 3 carrots, 200g) carrots, chopped or sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (maïzena)
• 1 ¼ cup (30 cl) whipping cream
• ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon (20 cl) whole milk
• ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon (20 cl) white wine
• 2 Tablespoons fish fond
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces (350g) salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into bite-size chunks
• 12 ounces (350g) cod fillets, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
• Fresh dill, chopped, to serve

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Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onions, fennel, carrots, garlic and cumin seeds, and cook until soft and transparent but not browned, about 5 minutes. 
2. Pour in the fish fond, white wine, liquid cream and milk, and stir. Whisk in the cornstarch, and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the potatoes, and simmer for about 7-8 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Add one third of the sauce to a 9 or 10-inch (25 cm) baking form*, then place the raw fish pieces on top, and cover with the remaining sauce.
5. Cut the puff pastry in a circle slightly larger than the pie dish, and place it over the dish, letting the edges slightly hang over the sides. With a small sharp knife, make a few slits in the top crust for steam to escape, and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden. Check the pot pie after 15 minutes, and place a piece of foil loosely over the top if the top starts to brown, then continue baking. Allow to cool slightly and serve!

Christmas, Easter, Main Dishes, Pescatarian, Year Round

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