Fish Pie

[ethandron]

Am making this today, a giant one, and have never made it before.
I've bought ready made cheese sauce which I'll be adding some mustard to, and am putting frozen mash on the top with some grated cheese sprinkled over.
The fish..cod, smoked haddock, salmon, tiger prawns and scallops..has been chopped into chunks and is currently defrosting in the baking dish with a bit of lemon juice squirted over it.
Does anyone who makes fish pie regularly have any suggestions for any additions or ingredients they always add which they feel makes it really tasty and would never leave out? Thanks.

[ducksie]

I like a few greens and maybe a bay leaf, parsley, few gherkins, some people don't like gherkins, capers,some dill .

[Pooka1950]

My late sister-in-law always used to put quartered hard boiled eggs in her fish pie.

[ethandron]

He doesn't like gherkins or capers, ducksie, so that's a no no, sounds nice though.
We're having peas separately spath.

[ducksie]

eggs are great in a fish pie, my Mam used to put eggs in

[ducksie]

oh eth, I knew it was an optional ingredient, like getting a burger, some don't like gherkins on their burgers, I love them

[ethandron]

If this is a success and something I add to my repertoire then I'll add eggs next time as I don't have any, thanks Pooka.

[ethandron]

Mmm, gherkins, capers, pickled walnuts..

[Quoi]

I always have onions and peas in my fish pie.

[ethandron]

Ooh thanks quoi, didn't think of putting onions in.

[diddlydo]

Personally I'd never use cheese sauce for fish pie, nor frozen mash. Hard-boiled eggs, gherkins, capers, flat-leaf parsley are all essential to my fish pie and I prefer crushed new potatoes for the topping as you get more crispy bits.

[Cloverjo]

I make my cheese sauce by frying a chopped onion, add a tub of single cream, a pile of Cheddar and a good dollop of English mustard. Cover the fish with the sauce, put the steamed spinach on that and then potatoes crushed (not mashed) with some olive oil.

[jourdain2]

My piscatarian step-daughter makes the best fish pie I have ever eaten. She adds a slug of vermouth to the sauce. I tried it myself and it works beautifully.

[Barmaid]

I dont make a cheese sauce, I make a sauce with cream with fish stock after I have flambed some shallots and garlic in a little pernod. I do put cheese in the mash though.

[ethandron]

I think you could be right about the cheese sauce, I have a feeling it will overwhelm the fish, interesting that you always make a cheese sauce though clover. However, it's made now, all cooked, and very tasty from the small spoonful I've tried.
Next time I'll try just cream and fish stock.
I've lost my cooking mojo at the moment so am trying to make things as easy as possible for myself, hence the frozen mash, which, incidentally, is very, very nice.

[MargoTester]

Make sure the fish is thoroughly drained before adding the sauce or it'll be watery. I've never used frozen mash but I'd defrost it a bit and put the cheese through it and add a bit on top - but then I'm a cheese nut!