Fish pie

Name: Fish pie
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 adults and 1 baby, with leftovers
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or pollock; 900 g (2 lb) floury potatoes; 450 ml (scant 2 cups) whole cow's milk; 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour); 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas; 2 handfuls (60 g / 2 oz) spinach; 20 g (1½ tbsp) unsalted butter

A family fish pie of flaked white fish and soft peas in a simple milk sauce, under a layer of smooth mashed potato, with no added salt. Contains fish and milk: offer it once your baby has had fish and dairy each on their own.

From: 6 months
Time: 60 min
Makes: 2 adults and 1 baby, with leftovers

Contains fishContains milk

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz)skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or pollockfresh or frozen (thawed in the fridge overnight), plain and unsmoked; you can swap up to 150 g (5 oz) for skinless salmon
900 g (2 lb)floury potatoesabout 4 medium
450 ml (scant 2 cups)whole cow's milkpasteurized; see the US and UK note below for babies under 12 months
2 tbspcornstarch (cornflour)
150 g (1 cup)frozen peas
2 handfuls (60 g / 2 oz)spinachoptional
20 g (1½ tbsp)unsalted butter

Steps

1Wash your hands. Scrub the potatoes under running water, peel them and cut away any green, damaged or sprouting parts. Cut them into even chunks and boil them in unsalted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until very soft. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Rinse the spinach, remove any thick stems and chop the leaves very finely.
2Meanwhile, lay the fish in a wide pan, pour over 400 ml (1⅔ cups) of the milk and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cover and poach for 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Lift the fish onto a plate and keep the milk. Wash your hands after handling raw fish.
3Let the fish cool a little, then pull it apart with your fingers, feeling every flake for bones and removing any bone and skin you find. Fillets sold as boneless can still hide small bones.
4Mix the cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water, whisk it into the warm poaching milk and simmer, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens. Add the peas and spinach and simmer for 5 minutes, until very soft. If your baby will hold flakes of fish, set a few large boneless flakes aside first. Gently stir in the rest of the fish and spoon it into a baking dish. Don't add salt.
5Drain the potatoes and mash them with the butter and the rest of the milk until completely smooth, with no hard lumps. Spread the mash over the fish.
6Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the middle is steaming hot, 165°F (74°C).
7Take your baby's portion out now, before any salt or seasoning goes in, and leave off any crisp or browned bits of potato. Mash every pea in your baby's portion with a fork for a baby under 9 months, or press each pea flat from 9 months, so no whole round peas are left. Spread it on a plate to cool, stirring, and feel through it once more for bones. Check it's only just warm before serving: fish pie holds heat.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Once your baby has had fish and dairy each on their own without a reaction, mash the fish, sauce, peas and potato together into a thick, lumpy mash, checking that every pea is squashed, with no round ones left. Serve it on a pre-loaded spoon or let them scoop it up with their fingers. Or offer the large soft flakes of fish you set aside to hold.

9 months+

Serve the pie as a soft mash with flakes of fish no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Press each pea flat, and let your baby practice with a spoon or their fingers.

12 months+

Serve the family dish from the unsalted pie, with fish in bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) and the peas squashed. Keep checking the fish for bones.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, poach the fish in water instead, make the sauce with that water, and mash your baby's potato with breast milk or formula. Cod, haddock, pollock and salmon are all on the FDA/EPA 'Best choices' list for low mercury. For ages 1 to 3, a serving is about 1 oz (28 g), 2 servings a week from that list; the FDA doesn't give a serving size for babies under 12 months.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 1 year. Its creamy hotpot recipe for babies aged 7 to 9 months suggests swapping the chicken for haddock as a way to try fish.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains fish, milk. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and keep them covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them in small portions for 2 to 3 months (the sauce may turn a little grainy). Reheat only the portion you need, and only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), stirring so there are no cold spots, then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Take your baby's portion out first, then season the rest with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon for the adults. For a cheesy top, scatter grated cheese over half of the pie before baking, for the adults only, and take your baby's portion from the plain half: cheese is salty. Serve with green beans or broccoli. Skip smoked fish and ready-made fish pie mixes that contain it: cured fish is salty.