Pick A Fish Pie Recipe For A Healthy Winter Meal
Family friendly, comfort food with a healthy twist – any fish pie recipe offers the perfect dish in these colder months.
Baked, shallow fried, grilled, poached or steamed – fish is both versatile and an excellent source of easily digestible protein and minerals.
Vitamins & Minerals
Fish offers you Iodine; which controls growth and metabolism, and Selenium; which protects cells from cancer-causing free radicals; it is also an ideal source of Vitamin A, D, and most significantly, Omega 3.
Fish promotes both healthy skin and eyes, as well as strong teeth and bones.
Omega 3
Fish offers significant health benefits due to its high levels of Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
The human body cannot produce these fatty acids naturally, meaning the only way to access them is via foods rich in Omega 3, such as fish.
The types of fish that contain the higher levels of Omega 3 are the greasier forms, for example; mackerel, herring, sardines, salmon, tuna and anchovies.
The recommended daily amount (RDA) of Omega 3 essential fatty acids – from fish – is 200-600mg.
Protein & Minerals
A good source of low-fat protein and minerals is white fish, such as cod and haddock.
Protein helps us build strong and muscular bodies as well as help build body tissues, which, are not only present in muscle, but organs and bone too.
The shellfish group – such as crab, lobster and mussels – contain Selenium, which as mentioned above – is thought to have cancer-fighting properties due to it protecting cells from cancer-causing free radicals.
Recipe Idea: Fish Pie With Watercress Mash
First, gather your ingredients. To serve four people you’ll need:
- 700g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 65g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 450ml semi-skimmed milk, plus 2 tbsp
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus a few stalks
- 350g firm white fish fillet, cubed
- 100g cooked peeled prawns, thawed if bought frozen
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 85g watercress, stalks trimmed and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To prepare, preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Add the potatoes to the saucepan, cover with lightly salted boiling water and leave to cook for 15 minutes/until tender.
Whilst you wait for your potatoes to boil, put 40g of butter in a saucepan with the flour, 450ml of the milk, a bay leaf and the parsley stalks.
Cook over a medium heat, constantly whisking until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
Turn the heat down as low as possible and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then, turn off the heat completely and remove the bay leaf and parsley stalks.
Stir in the fish, prawns, chopped parsley, chives and lemon juice.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spoon into a 1.5 litre buttered baking dish.
Your potatoes should now be tender, so drain them well and mash with the remaining butter.
Stir into your mash the chopped watercress and 2 tbsp milk, and then beat with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until fluffy.
Spoon the mash over the fish mixture, spreading evenly to the edge of the dish.
Fork up the surface and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbling and browned.
About the Author: Francesca Rilotelli is a writer and fan of the perfect fish pie recipe
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