Grainfree Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Name: Grainfree Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower; 2 tbsps butter; salt and pepper; 45 g butter ((3 tbsps)); 50 g gram flour ((1/3/cup) (or coconut flour for strict SCD/Paleo)); 500 ml almond milk; 100 g mature cheddar cheese; salt and pepper; 200 g smoked haddock fillets; 200 g cod fillets; 200 g salmon fillets

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I love Fish Pie! It’s one of those ultimate comfort foods but is usually off-limits for me as the sauce tends to be made with flour and the topping is usually mashed potato – two items that I can’t eat! I created this Grainfree Fish Pie using my Grainfree Bechamel Sauce Recipe and topped it with Cauliflower Mash instead of potato, making it suitable for anyone following a Grainfree, SCD or Paleo diet.

The recipe is really divided into three parts. You need to make the sauce, make the mash and poach the fish. Then, once you have all three elements ready, you can combine them to make the pie!

I usually start by making the Cheese Sauce – it’s just a bechamel or white sauce with grated cheese melted into it. To begin you need to melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add in the gram flour and stir to combine into a roux (a sort of flour-butter paste) making sure there are no lumps.

If you want to make it truly Paleo or SCD you can use my coconut flour bechamel sauce instead of using gram flour. Gram flour is made from lentils, which are not strictly paleo and unless you have prepared the gram flour yourself by soaking, drying and grinding the lentils then it would not be SCD legal. However, I tolerate gram flour well and use it in a lot of my recipes and I prefer the taste, so that is what I use to make the bechamel sauce.

Next, add a few tablespoons of the almond milk and stir until all the lumps are dissolved and you have a smooth paste. Then, add in the rest of the almond milk, bit by bit, to ensure no lumps form. Cook the sauce on a low heat for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and coat the back of a spoon.

At this point, you can either leave it as it is or add cheese to it. Some people prefer a fish pie with white sauce, I prefer a cheese sauce (everything is better with cheese). You could also chop some parsley or dill up at this point and stir it through the sauce. It’s your fish pie – make it to your personal taste!

If you’re adding cheese, grate it and add to the sauce. Stir the cheese through until it melts. Taste the sauce and season well with salt & pepper. Leave the cheese sauce on a very low heat while you prepare the cauliflower.

To prepare the cauliflower mash, start by chopping the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Steam the cauliflower florets until very tender. (Steam them longer than you normally would – this will ensure they are tender enough to get a really smooth Cauliflower Mash). Drain and add the cooked cauliflower and butter to the food processor.

Steamed cauliflower and butter in food processor

Blitz on high for a couple of minutes until you have a completely smooth cauliflower mash. Season to taste and blitz again to combine.

Once you have these two steps complete you can preheat your oven to 200C (390F) to prepare to cook the Grainfree Fish Pie. Now, you can put the fish on to poach. You can use any combination of fish that you like. I like to use salmon. cod and smoked haddock as I think it gives a nice mix of flavours (especially the smoked haddock). Some people like to add prawns or hard-boiled egg too (which I personally think is sacrilege) but it’s completely up to you.

You can either poach the fish in water or in a mix of half water half milk depending on your preference. I just used water in this recipe. So, you add the fish to a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook on high until the fish is cooked all the way through. (about 5-7 minutes) Remove the fish and allow to cool.

Top tip: Don’t forget to save the poaching liquid to freeze to use in soups. Fish stock always comes in handy – think smoked haddock chowder, fish soup or bouillabaisse!

Remove and drain the fish and and allow it to cool.

Now you have all the elements, it is time to assemble the fish pie. Start by flaking the cooked fish and arranging it on the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Spoon over the cheese sauce making sure to coat all the fish. Top the cheesy fish with the mashed cauliflower and smooth out evenly.

Grainfree Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash ready for the oven

Cook the Grainfree Fish Pie in the oven for around 30 mins until it is bubbling and the cauliflower mash has browned on the top.

This one is great for batch cooking as it freezes so well. If freezing, freeze the fish pie before cooking it in the oven and it will last in the freezer for about 3 months! Simply remove and defrost and then follow the cooking instructions above.

I like to serve fish pie with peas and steamed broccoli but you could serve it with any number of different sides. Maybe some roasted vegetables, asparagus or some samphire or even a salad!