This Seafood Pie has salmon, shrimp and cod in a fennel cream sauce topped with browned mashed potatoes. Definitely fit for company!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Seafood- The recipe calls for 2 ½ lbs of seafood- a mix of salmon, shrimp and cod. You can adjust to make 2 ½ lbs of seafood of your choice - shrimp, clams, scallops, lobster or other fish.
Celeriac- This is a winter root vegetable worth seeking out because it adds flavour. But if you don't have it you can just increase the amount of potatoes.
Fennel- You will use the fennel to add flavour to the cream sauce and the potato mash so you really need to include it.
How To Make It
There are a few steps involved, some of which you can do ahead, that build layers of flavour. It freezes well, though, so if you want to serve it for company, you can make it ahead so you are not chained to the kitchen the day of serving it.
- Make the fennel cream and fennel puree.
- Cook the potatoes and celeriac. Make the potato mash.
- Make the seafood stew.
- Make fried leek topping.
- Assemble and bake.
Chef's Tips
- Seafood can release a lot of liquid when cooking, so it is important to take a handful of seafood at a time over your sink and gently squeeze out the moisture and transfer to a paper towel. This is especially important if you have defrosted any of it.
- I made this in two different serving styles. I served it once in scallop shells à la Coquille St. Jacques and once as a family-style casserole. If you make individual servings, it will cook faster.
Make Ahead
Fennel cream and puree can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. You will not be able to pipe the potato topping if it has been refrigerated. You can gently warm it up enough to spread evenly over the top of the seafood base.
You can assemble the entire Seafood Pie and freeze it. Reheat from frozen at 350 degrees, covered with foil for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue heating for another 25 minutes until the seafood is cooked and the topping is heated through.
Wine Pairing with Company's Coming Seafood Pie
If you are serving this as part of a holiday meal, then consider serving it with a Sparkling wine. A Muscadet Sevre et Maine, an unoaked Chardonnay, a Chenin Blanc or a white Grenache would also work.
If you are a die-hard red fan, then go light like rosé, Valpolicella or Pinot Noir.
Related Recipes
Company's Coming Seafood Pie
If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!
Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 1 small head fennel
- 1 ½ cups 18% cream
- salt
- 2 lbs potatoes peeled and cut into 2" cubes
- 8 oz celeriac peeled and cut into 2" cubes
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided ¼ and ¼
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup vermouth
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 4 Tbsps herbed cream cheese (I used Garlic and Fine Herbs)
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled, tail off and deveined
- 1 lb salmon fillets
- ½ lb cod fillet see Recipe Note #1
Fried Leek Garnish (optional)
- 1 leek thinly, thinly sliced white part only
- olive oil to cover leeks
Instructions
Fennel Cream
- Remove stalks and fronds from fennel. Chop and reserve fronds. Discard stalks. Cut fennel bulb into quarters and transfer to a small pot. Add the cream and season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes until fennel is tender. When cooled a bit add the bulb and ¼ cup of fennel cream to the blender. Puree until smooth. Reserve the puree and the remaining fennel cream. The puree is going to go into the potato topping and the remaining cream will go in the seafood base.
Topping
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potato and celeriac cubes and cook about 25 minutes until tender. Drain and allow to sit in strainer a few minutes so they are good and dry. Pass through a potato ricer or mash finely in a large bowl.
- Melt ¼ cup of butter gently in the microwave and add to the potato mixture along with the fennel puree. Then add the nutmeg, lemon zest and egg yolks. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Seafood
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut fish and seafood if necessary into about 1" pieces so they are fairly uniform. (Shrimp and bay scallops if using can be left whole). Gently squeeze any excess liquid from the seafood using your fist over your sink. Transfer to a paper towel. This is especially important if any of you seafood has been defrosted.
- Melt remaining ¼ cup of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and allow to cook about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the vermouth and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until no liquid remains. Then sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to coat the onions.
- Take 1 cup of the reserved fennel cream and add to the pan slowly, stirring constantly. Once the fennel cream is smooth add the milk, whisking until it is incorporated and there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and cook a few minutes to thicken. Add the cream cheese and reserved fronds. Stir till well combined.
- Spray a 9 X 13" deep baking dish with cooking spray. Distribute the seafood mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Add the hot cream mixture and stir to coat the seafood. Spread of pipe the potato mixture over the top.
- Bake about 45 minutes. If the potato topping has not browned sufficiently broil 4-5 minutes til it starts to turn brown.
- Note: If you serve this in individual ramekins or scallop shells check for doneness after 30 minutes.
Fried Leek Garnish
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Test with a small piece of leek. Oil should sizzle when leek hits it. When oil is hot enough fry leeks until they turn golden brown 5-7 minutes. Remove leeks with slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. (Retain leek-flavoured oil for another use such as salad dressing or for frying).
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