Fish Pie With a Sourdough Crust

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Total Time: 1½ hours
Rating: 4(385)
Notes: Read community notes

This British fish pie deviates from the traditional potato topping by using sourdough bread as a crust. The result leaves you with a happy balance of crispy bread bits on top and softer bits where the bread has absorbed some of the creamy sauce. You can easily make this pie your own by swapping out the sourdough for any other good-quality white loaf, using other cuts of fish or seafood, such as cod, trout or baby squid, and playing around with whatever herbs you might have on hand. The English mustard is quite a dominant flavor here, and cuts through the richness of the pie itself. If mustard isn’t your thing, feel free to reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

5tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, melted
4slices bacon (about 2½ ounces/70 grams), thinly sliced crosswise
1large or 2 small leeks (about 10 ounces/300 grams), trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise ¾-inch/2-centimeters thick and washed well
4garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼cup/40 grams all-purpose (plain) flour
3tablespoons mustard powder
1½cups/360 milliliters whole milk
1cup/240 milliliters chicken stock
Kosher salt and black pepper
¼cup/10 grams roughly chopped fresh tarragon, plus 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
¼cup/10 grams roughly chopped fresh parsley, plus 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
2tablespoons/5 grams roughly chopped fresh dill, plus 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish
8ounces/225 grams boneless, skinless salmon fillets, cut into roughly 1-inch/3-centimeter pieces
8ounces/225 grams boneless, skinless halibut fillets, cut into roughly 1-inch/3-centimeter pieces
6ounces/170 grams extra-large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined, tails removed
2teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
8ounces/225 grams crustless sourdough, cut into 1-inch/3-centimeter cubes
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.
Step 2
In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to take on color, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and mustard powder, then add the milk, stock, ¾ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper, stirring to get rid of any lumps. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the tarragon, parsley and dill, then set aside to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Add the salmon, halibut and shrimp to a 9-by-13-inch/23-by-33-centimeter baking dish. Sprinkle all over with ½ teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper, then top with the lemon zest and juice. Pour the sauce on top, stirring gently to combine.
Step 4
In a large bowl, toss the bread with the remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter until well coated. Transfer to the baking dish, gently pressing to submerge the bread cubes halfway into the base. Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 28 minutes. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
Step 5
While the pie is in the oven, combine the reserved chopped herbs and oil in a small bowl. Drizzle this all over the pie right before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

385 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Mari5 years ago

I get the bacon - but chicken stock with fish? No - I'll be using fish stock/court bouillon in the sauce. Also, if using English (Colman's) mustard powder, us 1/2 the amount prescribed - otherwise the result will be inedible.

Pups5 years ago

What about some dry white wine? Seems like a natural to me.

L5 years ago

this was awesome! it took me a while to get it all together (we ate at 10:30pm!) but i think this recipe is genius. i ignored the bacon (i hate bacon) and just added some paprika to the leeks; and i used fish stock rather than chicken stock, which to me made more sense.

Liz5 years ago

Oh wow, so good. Didn’t have stock, so did 50/50 white wine/water. No halibut, so added extra salmon. Will definitely make again.

Colin5 years ago

The recipe says crustless cubes, but the picture looks more like roughly cut bread, crusts included.

Ralph5 years ago

I am assuming you do not cook this fish before baking-it cooks in the oven, am I right?

Keith Bunnell4 years ago

When I looked, the list of ingredients didn't appear to include the fish: 8 ounces/225 grams boneless, skinless salmon fillets, cut into roughly 1-inch/3-centimeter pieces 8 ounces/225 grams boneless, skinless halibut fillets, cut into roughly 1-inch/3-centimeter pieces 6 ounces/170 grams extra-large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined, tails removed

Denis Pelletier5 years ago

To Mari, re chicken stock From experience I can say that a light chicken stock works well with fish or seafood. Makes for a deeper tasting dish (risotto, for example). The key is a light neutralish chicken stock, not a golden rich one made with roasted chicken. The same can be said about light veal stock.

Patti5 years ago

As a pescatarian, I'd use some homemade shrimp stock. Not sure what to substitute for bacon...some smoked paprika? Open to suggestions.

C Kelly5 years ago

Prepared this recipe tonight, exactly as written (unlike most commenters) and my husband and I both thought it was excellent. We did both agree, however, that it might have been even more enjoyable on a dreary, chilly (London) day than on a warm, humid (Connecticut) evening in late June.

Diana5 years ago

Crustless sourdough?

Pete Roddy5 years ago

Not a big halibut fan; I'd substitute pacific cod or rockfish.

Raizel5 years ago

Smoked salmon, smoked paprika, or veggie bacon to provide a smokey flavor. Probably would be delicious without it anyway.

Walter5 years ago

Or a brisk Pils? Nice to have a cooling drink on a hot day, especially after making dinner in the oven.

rovergirl4 years ago

Not only was the fish forgotten from the ingredient list, but the bread as well!

Gwen6 months ago

I was honestly surprised at how awesome this was. I did a fairly bad job at the directions but still came out delicious!

Toby M8 months ago

I had no bacon, no English mustard, no tarragon, no dill and less fish than was needed but this was absolutely packed with flavour. A tablespoon of dijon mustard did the trick. The lemony base and crunchy bread top make this, in my humble British opinion, much more interesting than the standard mash potato fare.

Jennifer2 years ago

A show stopper! Perfect pescatarian main for Thanksgiving. Replaced chicken stock with court bouillon, shrimp with sea scallops. Greatly reduced the mustard powder, added some paprika in addition. No bacon. Everyone loved it!

Maria2 years ago

I really loved the idea of this dish except I found there was a bitter aftertaste… I’m chalking it up to the dry mustard so next time, I’ll half the amount. Even with the aftertaste, we will have it as leftovers - the “before the aftertaste” makes it worth it!

Desiree3 years ago

I made this last night for a dinner with six guests. Everyone enjoyed it. I used homemade sourdough bread and substituted two heaping tablespoons of Grey Poupon mustard for the dry mustard. The dinner takes some prep time, so I cut up everything in the morning. The recipe doesn't say if the whole leek should be used- I only cut off the ends of the green and used the whole leek. I would definitely make this again.

iniville3 years ago

Try adding dashi instead of chicken stock. It tastes like the sea.

Les O4 years ago

Made this exactly as written EXCEPT I popped a sheet of puff pastry on the top instead. Really just a terrific balance of flavors; I wouldn’t change a thing.

Amanda4 years ago

This was so good! It was a perfect dinner for a cold, rainy, winter night. It was creamy without being heavy. I think I might cut down on the tarragon a little next time, but other than that, no changes are necessary.

James Meiss4 years ago

I made this for a dinner party and the guests could not stop raving!

Martin Erskine4 years ago

After you peel them, you can simmer the shrimp shells in the chicken stock for 10 min or so to add some fish flavor to the stock…

Martin Erskine4 years ago

I had to look for an archive... Here’s the complete ingredient list… 5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 slices bacon (about 2 1/2 ounces/70 grams), thinly sliced crosswise 1 large or 2 small leeks (about 10 ounces/300 grams), trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 3/4-inch/2-centimeters thick and washed well 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/4 cup/40 grams all-purpose (plain) flour 3 tablespoons mustard powder 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters whole milk 1 cup/240 milliliters chic

rovergirl4 years ago

Not only was the fish forgotten from the ingredient list, but the bread as well!

Carol4 years ago

Thank you. I thought I was losing my mind.

Keith Bunnell4 years ago

SM4 years ago

Sounds wonderful but I can not eat shell fish. What would you recommend as a substitute?

UA4 years ago

A different recipe?

Anne C.4 years ago

scallops?

Madrid4 years ago

scallops are shell fish.

John4 years ago

We don't agree with 'Mari' about the amount of Colman's Mustard. We actually made the dish with the full amount suggested and it was delicious--not the least bit overpowering and a great pairing with the tarragon. We also used chicken stock, because the grocery only had clam juice, and found it to be fine. Our family really loved this dish and are fans of most Ottolenghi recipes.

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