Cod Scallops Salmon Fish Pie With Prawns Recipe (2024)

This classic cod and salmon fish pie with scallops and prawns has a creamy white sauce and a crispy topping made with breadcrumbs flavored with basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It is packed with vegetables like leeks, carrots and celery. This creamy salmon pie is inspired by an Irish fish pie I had in Howth near Dublin, where the fishing vessels freshly brought the Atlantic seafood into the harbor.

This traditional fish pie recipe from Ireland was so good that I had to try and reproduce it

In this recipe, I use salmon, cod cut into bite-sized chunks, shrimp, and scallops, but you can use any other combination of fish as long as they are chunky pieces and flaky, like the salmon and the cod.

The combination of these Atlantic seafood makes the pie so rich and tasty, you cannot stop eating it.

The seafood is mixed in a creamy sauce with carrots, leeks, and some lemon zest to bring depth to the dish.

All are topped with a crunchy layer of breadcrumbs flavored with garlic, basil, and Parmesan.

Leeks are a critical addition to the fish pie as their delicate sweet flavor enhances the seafood without overpowering it.

Onions would be too intense for it.

A simple potato salad is seasoned with basil and extra virgin olive oil to accompany the dish.

For more seafood dishes you can find: Healthy Cod Recipe, salmon with steamed zucchini or Swordfish Wheel, Baked Swordfish and Braciolette

Ingredients

For the pie filling

• fresh cod and salmon fillets, prawns and scallops
• leek, large carrots, stalk of celery
• butter
• lemon zest
• salt and black pepper
• I like to add ½ cup of white wine to give the fish pie an extra sweetness. It is not necessary, but it does make a difference.

You also need:

• white sauce bechamel
• Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs for the top pie

For the bechamel

To make the white sauce, also known as white roux, you need the following ingredients:

• plain flour
• butter
• milk
• freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and black pepper

For more information you can read the article: How to make a white roux and its related mother sauces

Ingredients for the Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

• grated stale bread
• parmesan
• Basil leaves or parsley
• garlic cloves

Instructions

How to make the white sauce

Here is how to make it:

1. Stir the flour and butter in a pan over low heat for 1 or 2 minutes with a wooden spoon to create a white roux.
2. Remove from the heat and gradually add the warm milk making sure no lumps are formed.
3. Put back on the heat and stir constantly until the sauce boils.
4. Lower the heat and keep a gentle simmer stirring until it reaches the right consistency.
5. Add a pinch of salt and nutmeg at the end.

If you have never made a white sauce at home and want more guidance, you can find more detailed recipes here: homemade bechamel.

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1. Blend with an electric blender a cup of shredded breadcrumbs with basil or parsley leaves and a garlic clove
2. Add the grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs
3. Stir with a fork to combine bread crumbs with the fresh herbs and remove all the lumps from the Parmesan cheese

Hint: I always use Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs in many of my recipes, which is why I usually prepare a large amount and keep it in the freezer. They don’t need to be defrosted ahead of time.

If you want to know more about it, read the article: Grated Parmesan and Breadcrumbs. also check out the article: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep to find out what else I keep in my freezer.

Preparing the seafood for the pie

1. Clean and cut all the vegetables into small pieces
2. In a frying pan, stir fry the vegetables with butter at low heat, ensuring they don’t burn.
3. Gently place the salmon and the cod cut into bite-sized chunks on top, adding salt and lemon zest.
4. After 2 minutes, turn the fish gently, ensuring you don’t break it.

Hint: stir-frying the seafood before making it is crucial to prevent the fish pie from getting runny. The seafood is sealed, and the water released in the pan evaporates. Although, make sure the seafood is still raw when transferring it into the baking dish. You do not want to overcook your seafood as it gets dry and tough.

5. Add the scallop and the shrimp, cooking them lightly, ensuring they are still raw in the center.
6. Add salt and white sauce gently, always ensuring the fish does not break.

7. Once all is mixed but still raw, pour the salmon mixture into an ovenproof dish or pie plate.
8. Cover the top with the bread crumbs and spread several swirls of butter so the top forms a nice crunchy top when cooked in the oven.

9. Put in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 355 F - 180 C until the breadcrumbs top becomes golden brown and serve hot.

Top tips

• Choose good quality fish, either fresh or frozen
• The fish should not break into small pieces; you need to have nice large chunky bites
• Stir the fish very gently and the least possible otherwise, you risk breaking it
• Ensure the seafood is not entirely cooked before you put it back in the oven, fish should never be overcooked.
• You can use only cod and salmon if you cannot find large prawns or scallops
• You can use other types of seafood as long as it is chunky
• I do not top the breadcrumbs with mashed potatoes as I want to keep a nice crispy top

What do you serve with fish pie?

This fish pie is already rich, creamy, and packed with flavors, so it is best to serve it with a simple side dish.

As this fish pie has no potato topping, I serve it with an Italian baby potato salad seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and basil.

You can also serve it with baked pilaf rice, baked and microwaved potatoes, or a crispy fried polenta cakes.

Those side dishes are very mild in flavor and firm in texture, the best combination for a creamy and rich main like this fish pie.

For seafood ideas for the Feast of Seven Fishes, check out this Web Story.

Gourmet fish pie

This fish pie is an excellent option for a Christmas Eve seven-fishes menu, an Italian tradition. In Italy, it is a tradition only to eat fish on Christmas Eve, known in the USA as the seven fishes menu. I am unsure about the 7, but we eat a lot of fish; after all, Christmas is for indulging.

So in this pie, you already have four fish: cod, salmon, scallops, and prawns. I like to make Christmas extra special and add lobster tails. So you already have 5 of your 7 fish in one dish. This leaves you the option to make an appetizer with the remaining 2 fish!

You can serve the fish pie with baby potato and basil, and blini with salmon or warm octopus salad for starters.

Make ahead or freeze

This pie is perfect for dinner parties as you can make it ahead of time, keep it in the fridge and just put it in the oven 20 minutes before serving it.

This fish pie is suitable for the freezer if the fish was not previously frozen. You can prepare the pie and freeze it before you bake it.

Just defrost and bake when you need. However, add some extra baking time if the pie is still cold.

FAQ

Salmon recipes you might also like

If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category: seafood

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Howth Irish fishing village

Howth is a charming village on the outskirts of Dublin, located in the northern peninsula of Dublin Bay.

Besides its beauty, Howth is an active fishing center with many fishing vessels offloading their catch every day and receiving their routine maintenance. In Howth's Harbour, seafood caught in Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea is collected and processed for distribution.

The piers are famous for their seafood restaurants, you cannot get fresher fish than there. Coupled with all the other touristic attractions such as hiking, cycling, and sailing, Howth is a seafood lovers' paradise.

For us, it is a tradition. Every time we visit my husband's family in Ireland, we always stop in Howth for dinner before flying back home.

Seafood from the Irish Sea

Along the harbor pier, several seafood restaurants propose classic Irish seafood dishes prepared with the fresh fish brought by the fishing vessels.

The choice is vast, cod, salmon, scallop, and Dublin bay prawns cooked in different ways, chowder, fried, baked. All the restaurants are always very busy, so try to make a reservation. I recommend Deep (unfortunately a victim of COVID19, the restaurant is now closed).

It offers classic Irish cuisine with a twist, good service, with an informal modern dining setting.

If you are traveling to Ireland, I recommend you to stop here where I had this fantastic fish pie.