Empadão de Peixe (Portuguese Fish Pie with Mashed Potato)
- Prep
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h
- servings
- 6
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Empadão de peixe is the cousin of the meat empadão: a filling of flaked fish cooked with onion and tomato, covered with a good layer of mashed potato and baked until the top is golden and a little crisp. It’s a great way to use leftover cooked fish.
It’s a common weeknight dinner in Portuguese homes, and children usually like it for the creamy mash and the mild filling.
Recipe
Empadão de Peixe
Flaked fish cooked in a tomato base, covered with mashed potato and baked until golden. A thrifty dish the whole family likes.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain well.
- 2Mash the potatoes while hot with the milk and butter, seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.
- 3In a frying pan, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
- 4Add the chopped tomato and cook until it reduces a little.
- 5Add the flaked fish, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Add the chopped parsley and take off the heat.
- 6Spread the fish filling in an even layer in a baking dish.
- 7Cover with the mashed potato, running a fork over the top to give it texture.
- 8Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C (400 °F) for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden.
Tips
Flake the fish well and remove every bone. For a firmer mash, drain the potatoes very well and let them dry over the heat for a few minutes before mashing, and don’t overdo the milk and butter. An egg yolk in the mash makes the top more golden.
Variations: add peeled shrimp to the filling, or a layer of sautéed spinach between the fish and the mash.
Making it ahead
Assemble it up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; bake it a little longer if it goes in cold. It also freezes, assembled and unbaked; thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking.
