Fisherman's Pie

This is a seafood lover’s take on shepherd’s pie. Instead of ground meat, you get four different types of seafood: cod, catfish, shrimp, and crab, all bound in a roux-based cream sauce and baked under piped mashed potatoes with melted cheddar on top.

The mashed potatoes do double duty here. Two cups get pressed into a glass pie plate to form the crust, and the remaining cup goes into a pastry bag for piping a decorative ring and rosette on top. That piped potato browns and crisps during the 40-minute bake, giving you texture contrast against the creamy filling underneath.

The fish poaching liquid becomes part of the sauce. Half a cup of that stock gets whisked into the roux with milk, creating a sauce that actually tastes like the seafood it’s covering. Worcestershire, Tabasco, and parsley add savory punch and a little heat.

Pro Tips

• Simmer the cod first since it takes longer, then add the catfish and shrimp so everything finishes at the same time
• Reserve the poaching stock before draining. You need it for the sauce
• Make the mashed potatoes stiff enough to pipe. Too loose and they’ll slump and melt into the filling instead of holding their shape
• Don’t overcook the seafood before baking. It cooks further in the oven

Variations

• Use salmon or haddock instead of catfish for a different flavor profile
• Add a handful of frozen peas to the filling for color and sweetness
• Swap cheddar for Gruyere for a more refined, nutty cheese topping