Dear Readers and Friends, I thought I had written this post in advance as I am on vacation. So here I am in Lake Tahoe with 15 other friends-skiers-snowboarders on Day 3 of 4 of shredding the slopes. And I am dead-tired. But I’m writing about Fisherman’s Pie because my bed is the couch. Which means I am last to bed, first to wake. But it leaves me a few minutes here and there to blog while we are all watching movie after movie after movie after movie into the wee hours of the night. While sitting on my bed.. But I can use some of this time to write about Fisherman’s Pie.
But all of that is a warning. I’m warning you of my weariness and nonsensical-ness.
And now let’s talk about Fisherman’s Pie. Fisherman’s Pie, if you can close your eyes and dig deep down to use your food imaginations, is very similar to Shepherd’s Pie. Cousins, if you will. Brothers even. Bros. They are bros for sure. Except instead of ground beef at the bottom of the pie, you will find flaky white fish, cooked in wine. And you will find a middle, not of lame peas and carrots, but of woody mushrooms and meaty shrimp. And the whole dish with be wrapped in a creamy dill blanket.
Dill is one of my favorite herbs. Fresh dill is bright and grassy. Cooked fresh dill is warm and deep. One taste of that dill and you will want to scoop up any extra sauce in the bottom of that dish and spoon it straight into your open mouth. Slurp it like soup. Heck, I’m figuring out a recipe for Creamy Warm Deep Dill Soup as soon as I’m done writing about it.
And on top of all the good Fisherman’s Pie flaky juicy dilly shrimpy layers, is a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. And mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods ever. You can read about my obsession when you make Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. To put it shortly, I could live on mashed potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. Vitamins and minerals be damned. The mashed potatoes are like the down comforter on top of a memory foam mattress. You just better awesome a little more awesomer.
The recipe for Fisherman’s Pie has a few moving parts — cooking the fish, cooking the potatoes, cooking the mushrooms and shrimp — so make sure you read through it first, just to be ready. But I promise you can handle it and I promise each person you serve it to will love it. If you serve it to anyone. Because, if you’re anything like me, you’ll just eat it all yourself.
Fisherman's Pie
Fisherman's Pie is much like the well-known Shepherd's Pie except that we use seafood instead of ground beef. It's layered with flaky white fish, mushrooms and shrimp, and topped with whipped potatoes. Adapted from Irish Pub Cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds whitefish fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes Idaho or russet, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup butter divided
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
- 8 ounces peeled shrimp
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place a large pot of boiling water over high heat and bring to a boil.
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Place the fish fillets skin side down in baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine, and sprinkle with dill. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes until fish just begins to flake. When done cooking, pour off the liquid and reserve for a sauce. Peel skin from fish and discard. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
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When the fish goes into the oven, add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain well and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons butter, cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until butter is melted and well-combined.
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While fish and potatoes cook, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until just pink, about 1-2 minutes, stirring to ensure they are evenly cooked. When ready, spread mushrooms and shrimp over cooked fish and return skillet to stovetop.
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Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the fish mixture.
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Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the dish, spreading evenly. Return to the oven and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown.
(Please know that I am an affiliate for this cookbook. That means, if you make a purchase through one of the above links, I will receive a commission. However, these opinions are all my own.)
More Savory Irish Recipes
Pork Tenderloin in Spiked Cider Cream Sauce
Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Horseradish Tartlets
Stout-Soaked Mushroom and Onion Cheddar Toasts
