A light and flavorful twist on the classic Shepherd’s Pie, this Fisherman’s Pie features juicy fish, aromatic vegetables, and a golden, crispy potato crust. Skip the heavy sauce for a naturally delicious, fresh dish where the fish and veggies infuse together, creating a satisfying and healthy meal perfect for any night of the week.
Even though 'tis the season for creamy soups and hearty casseroles, my taste buds and very temperamental stomach demand light and healthy flavors. I don't have the luxury of arguing with my gastrointestinal system - she is a diva and if she doesn't get her way, she WILL throw a tantrum for days, which I will deeply regret later.
I am so glad that there are ways to cook very filling and deeply satisfying dishes which taste fresh and light at the same time. Based loosely on the Shepherd's Pie, the Fisherman's Pie is usually made with a rich and creamy sauce that is poured over the fish in a baking dish and then topped with a mashed potato crust and baked.
In my version, I bypass the white sauce and create a sauce naturally, saving time and calories, but vastly improving the fresh flavors of this dish. It took me only 15 minutes of prep work and this impressive dish was in the oven. The onions, tomatoes and fish all steam under the potato crust and as they bake, the fish is infused with the aromatic vegetables and herbs, the fish stays very juicy and the onions and tomatoes and the fish juices all intertwine to make a really awesomely delicious sauce. The fluffy potato crust crisps up as it bakes into golden swirls, making this dish into a stunning masterpiece. Not bad for a random Monday night dinner.
Ingredients:
1 ½ - 1 ¾ lbs russet potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
4 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to brush the baking dish
1 - ½ lbs white fish fillets (cod, haddock, swai, tilapia, snapper, sea bass, catfish, etc)
fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, dill
dry herbs, such as basil, thyme,
Old Bay, optional
salt, pepper
4 tablespoon butter
⅓ - ½ cup milk
3 egg yolks
How To Make Fisherman's Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a medium pot, cover with water and cook at a simmer in salted water just until the potatoes are fork tender.
Meanwhile, brush a deep dish 9 inch round pie plate with oil, making sure to cover the sides as well as the bottom of the dish. You can also use an 8x8 inch rimmed baking dish as well. Spread out 1 of the minced garlic cloves on the bottom of the dish. 
Slice the onions into thin circles and spread them out on the bottom of the pie plate. Season with salt and pepper. 
Slice the tomatoes into ½ inch thick circles and shingle them in one layer on top of the onions.
Make sure to slice the onions very thinly and keep the tomato slices thicker, so that they cook through at the same time. You want to make sure that the onions have a chance to become tender and they won't if you slice them too thick. Also, if the tomatoes are sliced too thin, they will disintegrate.
Season with salt and ground black pepper, drizzle with about 2 Tablespoons olive oil and also the last minced garlic clove and some fresh and dry herbs, like basil, parsley, dill. I like to use a mixture of both fresh and dry herbs, since they give the dish uniquely different flavor profiles, hearty and fresh, in one. 
Cut the fish into smaller portions, so that you can fit them into the pie plate better.
You can use any kind of firm white fish that you like - cod, snapper, sea bass, tilapia, catfish, swai, etc. Salmon would work too, although I've never used it in this recipe myself. It's important to use thick fish fillets in this recipe. I would not recommend using flounder or sole. They are very thin and the fish will be very dry by the time the rest of the ingredients are cooked through.
Season the fish on both sides with salt, pepper and any other seasonings that you like for fish. Place the fish on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with both fresh and dry herbs.
Meanwhile, the potatoes should be done cooking. Drain the water, add the butter to the potatoes and mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or use a potato ricer or a hand held mixer.
Add the milk to the mashed potatoes. Add a portion of the milk at a time and adjust the amount of milk that you use to how thick or thin you like mashed potatoes. 
Add the egg yolks, mix to combine. Adding the egg yolks to the mashed potato mixture will help give the potatoes structure as they bake, keeping them from falling apart. I think it makes the potatoes extra fluffy too. 
Scoop out the mashed potatoes on top of the fish and even it out, so that the mashed potatoes are covering all of the fish. 
Bake in the preheated over for 35-40minutes. Broil for the last 2-3 minutes of baking, just to get a light golden color on the potato crust.
Fisherman's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 1 ¾ lbs russet potatoes about 4 medium potatoes
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 3 tomatoes sliced
- 4 tablespoon olive oil plus more to brush the baking dish
- 1 - ½ lbs white fish fillets cod, haddock, swai, tilapia, snapper, sea bass, catfish, etc
- fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, dill
- dry herbs such as basil, thyme,
- Old Bay optional
- salt pepper
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ - ½ cup milk
- 3 egg yolks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a medium pot, cover with water and cook at a simmer in salted water just until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Meanwhile, brush a deep dish 9 inch round pie plate with oil, making sure to cover the sides as well as the bottom of the dish. You can also use an 8x8 inch rimmed baking dish as well.
- Spread out 1 of the minced garlic cloves on the bottom of the dish.
- Slice the onions into thin circles and spread them out on the bottom of the pie plate. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice the tomatoes into ½ inch thick circles and shingle them in one layer on top of the onions. Season with salt and ground black pepper, drizzle with about 2 Tablespoons olive oil and also the last minced garlic clove and some fresh and dry herbs, like basil, parsley, dill. I like to use a mixture of both fresh and dry herbs, since they give the dish uniquely different flavor profiles, hearty and fresh, in one.
- Cut the fish into smaller portions, so that you can fit them into the pie plate better. Season the fish on both sides with salt, pepper and any other seasonings that you like for fish. Place the fish on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with another 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with both fresh and dry herbs.
- Meanwhile, the potatoes should be done cooking. Drain the water, add the butter to the potatoes and mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or use a potato ricer or a hand held mixer.
- Add the milk to the mashed potatoes. Add a portion of the milk at a time and adjust the amount of milk that you use to how thick or thin you like mashed potatoes.
- Add the egg yolks, mix to combine. Scoop out the mashed potatoes on top of the fish and even it out, so that the mashed potatoes are covering all of the fish.
- Bake in the preheated over for 35-40minutes. Broil for the last 2-3 minutes of baking, just to get a light golden color on the potato crust.
Uummmmm why have I not made this before!!!!! This was a win with my kids, husband, and dad, (mom was working). Hehe! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! Definitely putting this one in my favorites!!!!! You never disappoint Olga!
That's so awesome! I'm so happy reading such wonderful feedback. Thank you for taking the time to write, Vitaliya.