10 tips for next level fish pie

Take traditional fish pie to the next level by using a few extra ingredients and avoiding some of the common pitfalls when cooking the seafood. We've selected a combination of flavourful smoked haddock, fresh white fish chunks, colourful salmon and tender prawns for a bit of luxury.

One of the key things to remember is not to cook the fish twice – once in a pan and again in the oven – or else you will spoil the taste and texture of what is obviously the most important (and let's face it, expensive) component of the dish. We suggest cutting out the pre-poaching stage of older recipes and adding fish raw to maintain its tenderness. You can also cut waste and maximise the seafood flavour by using the heads and shells of prawns to prepare a stock base.

Adding more unusual ingredients like star anise, eggs and capers enhances the flavour and texture of this common comfort food. Of course, you can easily leave these ingredients out if you don't like them. Whether or not to include eggs is another divisive issue. It's a matter of taste, but it's also worth noting that, without the eggs, this fish pie can be frozen and saved for a later date when you don't have time to cook from scratch.

There are several ways you can serve the mashed potato layer of your fish pie, either creating ridges with a fork to achieve a golden-brown crust, or simply scattering crisps, or cheese, to get that crunch. If you have more time, or are inviting guests for dinner who you'd like to impress, you could also pipe the mash in small, tidy blobs and make the pie a centerpiece dish to serve at the table. Ever wonder what goes well with fish pie, try it with our easy mushy peas recipe.

See the full fish pie recipe or find more tips with our guide on how to make next level fish pie.

Which ingredients make your perfect fish pie? Leave a comment below...