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This fish pie is an inspiration from an Irish fish pie I had in Howth, near Dublin. The fish was freshly brought into the harbour by the fishing vessels and a Mediterranean flavour was added to the fish pie. So here it is, a mix of Atlantic fish, salmon, cod, prawns and scallops fish pie with a Mediterranean twist.
Howth Irish fishing village
Howth is a charming village on the outskirts of Dublin, located in the northern peninsula of the Dublin Bay.
Besides its beauty, Howth is an active fishing centre with many fishing vessels offloading their catch every day and receiving their routine maintenance. In Howth’s Harbour, seafood caught in the 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 harbour 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.
It offers classic Irish cuisine with a twist, good service with an informal modern dining setting.
If you are travelling to Ireland, I recommend you to stop here where I had this fantastic fish pie.
Fish pie with prawns
The fish pie was so good that I had to try and reproduce it, of course using the typical seafood from the Dublin Bay: cod, salmon, scallops and Dublin Bay prawn.
As Dublin Bay prawns are not easy to get here in the Mediterranean I use the San Remo Bay prawns, the key to this recipe is to use good quality seafood, whether fresh or frozen to make sure you can taste the sea.
More seafood: cod, salmon, scallops
In this recipe, I use salmon, cod, shrimps and scallops, but you can use any other combination of fish as long as they are chunky pieces.
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 bechamel sauce with carrots, leeks and some lemon zest to bring depth to the dish. All topped with a crunchy layer of breadcrumbs flavoured with garlic, basil and parmesan.
To accompany the dish, a simple potato salad seasoned with basil and extra virgin olive oil.
Christmas Eve Seven Fishes Menu: add a lobster tail
This fish pie is an excellent option for a Christmas Eve seven fishes menu, an Italian tradition. In Italy, it is a tradition to only eat fish on Christmas Eve, known in the USA as the seven fishes menu. I am not sure about the 7 but we do eat a lot of fish, after all Christmas is for indulging.
So in this pie, you already have 4 fish: cod, salmon, scallops and prawns. For Christmas, I like to make it extra special and add lobster tails. So you already have 5 of your 7 fish in one dish. Which 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 for starters.
Make ahead and freeze
This pie is perfect to prepare 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.
If the fish was not frozen and it is suitable to be frozen, you can prepare the pie and freeze it before you bake it. Just defrost and bake when you need. Although remember to add some extra baking time if the pie is still cold.
Ingredients for the fish pie
- 11 oz – 300 g salmon
- 11 oz – 300 g cod
- 7 oz – 200 g prawns
- 7 oz – 200 g scallops
- 1 leek
- 2 small carrots
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 lemon zest
- salt and pepper
You also need:
- 2 cups of bechamel sauce
- 1 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
How to make a homemade bechamel
To make the bechamel, also known as white roux, you need the following ingredients:
- 2 tbsp of flour
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 1 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- salt & pepper
Here is how to make it:
- 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.
- Remove from the heat and gradually add the warm milk making sure no lumps are formed.
- Put back on the heat and bring to the boil stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat and keep stirring until it reaches the right consistency.
- Add salt and nutmeg at the end.
If you have never made a bechamel at home and you want more guidance you can find more detailed recipes here: homemade bechamel.
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
I always use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in many of my recipes, that 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 you can 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.
I always keep the stale bread aside and when I have time I prepare the breadcrumbs and freeze it. Here are the ingredients I use in proportion to 3 cups of grated stale bread:
- 3 cups of grated stale bread
- 1/2 cup of parmesan
- 1/2 cup of basil leaves or parsley
- 1 garlic cloves
If you are making it only for this recipe use the amount listed on the recipe card below
Preparing the seafood for the pie
- Clean and cut all the vegetables into small pieces
- Stir fry the vegetables in the pan with butter at low heat, making sure they don’t burn.
- Gently place the salmon and the cod cut into large cubes on top, adding salt and lemon zest.
- After 2 minutes turn the fish gently making sure you don’t break it.
- Add the scallop and the shrimps, cooking them lightly making sure they are still raw in the centre.
- Add salt and béchamel, gently stirring all always making sure the fish does not break.
- Once is all mixed but still a bit raw, pour the mixture into a ceramic baking tray.
- 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.
- Put in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 C and serve hot.
Tips for making the best fish pie
- 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 to break it
- Make sure the seafood is not completely 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
If you are making this Fish Pie with a Mediterranean Twist, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
Scallop, Shrimp, Salmon and Cod Fish Pie with a Mediterranean Twist
Ingredients
- 7 oz peeled raw shrimps
- 7 oz small size scallops
- 11 oz fresh salmon
- 11 oz fresh cod
- 1 leek
- 2 small carrots
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 lemon zest
- salt & pepper
For the topping:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 clove peeled garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp chopped basil leaves
- 4 tbsp butter in curls
For the béchamel
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
Make the bechamel
- Stir for 1 or 2 minutes the flour and the butter in a pan over low heat with a wooden spoon to create a white roux.
- Remove from the heat and gradually add the warm milk making sure no lumps are formed.
- Put back on the heat and bring to boil stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat and keep steering, until it reaches the right consistency.
- Add salt and nutmeg at the end.
Make the fish pie
- Clean and cut all the vegetables in small pieces
- Stir fry the vegetables in the pan with butter at low heat, making sure they don’t burn.
- Gently place the salmon and the cod cut in large cubes on top, adding salt and lemon zest.
- After 2 minutes turn the fish gently making sure you don’t break it.
- Add the scallop and the shrimps, cooking them lightly making sure they are still raw in the centre.
- Add salt and béchamel, gently stirring all always making sure the fish does not break.
- Once is all mixed but still a bit raw, pour the mixture into a ceramic baking tray.
- 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.
- Put in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 C and serve hot.
Notes
- 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 to break it
- Make sure the seafood is not completely cooked before you put it back in the oven, the 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
Nutrition
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If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category:
Mediterranean Fish and Seafood
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Great recipe!
Thank you Nadia
Oh, we love seafood so much! This looks terribly delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you my friend, I am sure you will love it