We are lucky and can buy salmon at our local farmers market from a local family that fishes in Alaska. We buy a large amount once a year. Then smoke some of it and freeze it all, so we always have fish on hand. Fish pie is one of our favorite ways to serve it.

This is just a big plate of winter comfort food. How can you go wrong with creamy sauce, peas, mashed potatoes and melted cheese. You can play with what vegetables go into the sauce to your taste, but I have to say leeks are such a great accompaniment to fish.

Fish Pie

We used salmon for this pie because we had it on hand, feel free to try it with other fish. We’ve also really liked it with smoked salmon.

1 T olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 T flour
1/4 c white wine
1 c chicken stock
1 c half & half (a mixture of half milk and half cream available in the US, you can substitute just milk or cream)
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
12 oz cooked flaked salmon (I baked my salmon seasoned with salt and pepper.)
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
salt
pepper
3+ c mashed potatoes (We make ours with butter, milk, salt and pepper, but add what you wish.)
1 oz grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots and celery. Sauté until tender. Sprinkle on the flour and cook while stirring for a minute. Stir in the white wine. Slowing stir in the stock and then the half and half until thick and bubbly. Add the peas, salmon and parsley.

Pour into a large, 12″ x 8″ or so, casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. If you want the top to be browner and crispier, like we did, broil for a few minutes.

Makes 6 servings (though we liked it so much we only got 4 servings out of it)

We divided it into two 6″ x 8″ casserole dishes and froze one. We cooked it while it was still a little frozen and it took about 45 minutes to cook through.