Sea-bass pie has a magical nostalgic taste that’ll definitely please everyone!
COMPONENTS OF SEA-BASS PIE
- ☆ Mashed potato base: The mashed potatoes are the foundation of the dish. It balances with the fish and sauce to create the perfect comforting taste.
- ☆ Fish filet and bechamel sauce: First, we pan fry the fish with garlic and butter then remove it from the pan. Then, the leftover butter and garlic are used to make the sauce in which the fish and vegetables get mixed in. Making the sauce this way produces a rich and savory flavor.
- ☆ Pie crust top: Crisp and flaky pie sheets are used to cover the dish, holding the entire thing together. Use any extra pie sheet scraps you have to make a super cute fish motif on top!
MATERIALS
- ☆ Pie pan, 20cm/8in diameter
INGREDIENTS (+ SUBSTITUTIONS)
This is a basic list and explanation of the key ingredients. For full list and measurements, please scroll down to the recipe below!
- ☆ Fish filet
- Technically you should use sea-bass, but it can be pretty hard to find in a normal grocery store. I used cod for this recipe, but any fish you prefer works just as well!
- ☆ Garlic
- To add a garlic butter taste to the fish filets we pan fry in the beginning. You can use garlic powder or granulated garlic if you like.
- ☆ Unsalted butter
- I prefer to use unsalted so I can control the salt content of the dish, but if you like you can use salted butter. Just make sure to taste when you add salt and pepper so it doesn’t become too salty.
- ☆ Cake flour
- This is simply my own preference when making bechamel because cake flour is starchier which will help the sauce thicken up more compared to all-purpose or bread flour. You can use all-purpose flour instead though, or you can substitute it with 13g all-purpose flour and 2g cornstarch.
- ☆ Milk
- I used whole milk because of its higher fat content, but any milk will work. As long as you cook it until reduced and thick, it should be fine.
- ☆ Onions
- When you caramelize the onions, they add a sweet and rich deep flavor that goes well in this dish.
- ☆ Green peas
- Optional, you can add any vegetables you like. I think peas are kinda pretty. You can use green beans instead as well or omit.
- ☆ Carrots
- Carrots have a nice sweetness that goes well in this dish.
- ☆ Russet potato
- This is to make the mashed potato base. You can use any kind of potato you like! Just keep in mind its taste and season accordingly.
- ☆ Milk and butter
- For the mashed potatoes. There’s no real measurement necessary for this, so adjust it as you see fit to suit your taste.
- ☆ Pie sheet
- I would actually recommend puff pastry if you want extra flakiness! In my other content, I tend to make pie dough from scratch, so for this I wanted to give premade pie sheets a try. It worked great, but you can also use homemade pie dough instead if you like!
- ☆ Egg and milk
- For the egg wash to stick together the designs of the pie crust and to make the pie golden.
- ☆ Black olives
- This is for decoration, so you don’t really need it if you don’t want it!
TIPS FOR MAKING SEA-BASS PIE
- ☆ Before adding the fish to the bechamel sauce, make sure the fish is fully cooked! Even though we will bake the pie, it is best to be safe!
- ☆ Bake the pie on a baking sheet or tray because it is possible the liquids inside will boil over and drip.
- ☆ If the edges of the pie start to brown too fast, you can use a strip of foil to wrap around the pie. This slows down the edges from browning but allows the top center to continue browning.
MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES! ♡
If you recreate this Sea-bass Pie recipe, please let me know by tagging me or leaving a comment on Instagram @maruryouri or TikTok @atsuryouri. I’d love to see your creations and hear your feedback!
Sea-bass Pie
Sea-bass pie has a magical nostalgic taste that'll definitely please everyone!
Equipment
- Pie pan 20cm/8in diameter
Ingredients
- 1 fish filet about 150g
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 15 g cake flour
- 250 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for sauteing
- 35 g onions
- 25 g green peas
- 25 g carrots cubed
- ½ russet potato about 70-100g
- Milk and butter as needed for mashed potatoes
- ½ teaspoon hondashi powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 pie sheets
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
- 6 black olive slices
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then, boil the peeled potato until fork tender. Mash as you normally would, adding butter and milk as needed to smoothen the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a deep pan, melt 15g of the unsalted butter, then add the garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant, lay down the fish filet. Let one side cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, and flip. Let the other side cook for about 3 minutes as well, then remove the fish from the pan and set aside for now.
- Using the same pan we cooked the fish in, add the remaining butter and let melt. If your pan still has a lot of butter after cooking the fish, you may omit the extra butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cook until the roux is lightly golden brown.
- Add the cold milk to the roux in increments, mixing after each addition. Use a whisk to beat out any lumps. Season with salt and pepper to taste and the hondashi powder. You want a pretty thick sauce, so cook until thickened then set aside for now.
- In a small frying pan, heat the oil. Once hot, add the onions and allow them to caramelize. Next, add the peas and carrots. Lightly stir fry until the carrots have just started to soften, then remove from heat.
- Add the fish and the stir fried vegetables to the bechamel sauce we made in step 3 and mix together, breaking apart the fish as you do so.
- Oil the inside of a small pie pan, then lay down a layer of the mashed potatoes. The layer should be as thick as about half the height of the pan. Next, lay down a layer of the fish and sauce mixture until it’s slightly under the total height of the pan. Spread a layer of mozzarella cheese evenly across the surface.
- Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the pie sheet to soften it. Lay one sheet over the pie pan and cut off the excess, leaving about a centimeter around the circumference. Roll the other pie sheet to soften it as well, then cut three strips about 3cm wide. Use the remaining pie sheet to cut out the fish designs or other design of your choice.
- Mix together the egg and milk to create the egg wash, then brush it over the surface of the pie evenly. Lay down the three strips and cut it to size to fit the pan. Next, fold over the excess pie sheet and crimp the edges to create the crust design.
- Brush the strips with the egg wash and begin to lay down the pieces you cut for your design. Your steps may vary depending on what design you choose to make, but regardless, you must brush the surface of each new layer to ensure the pieces stick together.
- Once your design is complete, brush over the entire pie with the egg wash. Place three olives at the bottom and three olives at the top of the surface of the pie.
- Bake the pie at 200°C/390°F for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C/355°F and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let the sea-bass pie cool down slightly before serving, and the sea-bass pie is done! 完成です！