Description

This hearty Harissa Fish Pie combines a flavorful mix of smoked haddock, king prawns, and spinach in a spiced harissa sauce, topped with a creamy, spiced sweet potato mash. The dish is baked to golden perfection and served with steamed green beans, making it a delicious and comforting seafood meal with a North African-inspired twist.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Sweet Potato Mash

700g sweet potatoes (3–4 small or 2 large)
3 tbsp rapeseed oil (divided: 2 tbsp for mash, 1 tbsp for cooking vegetables)
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of smoked paprika

For the Fish Filling

1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
350ml semi-skimmed milk
350g fish pie mix (including smoked haddock)
225g frozen king prawns, defrosted
2½ tbsp harissa paste
2 tbsp cornflour
30ml double cream
200g spinach, roughly chopped

To Serve

Steamed green beans

Instructions

Cook the Sweet Potatoes: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until soft, or microwave on high for 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove the skins and mash the flesh with 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, cumin, and smoked paprika. Set aside and keep warm.
Sauté the Vegetables: In a frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil over medium heat. Cook the finely chopped onion and red pepper for about 7 minutes, or until softened.
Cook the Fish and Prawns: Warm the semi-skimmed milk gently in a pan over low-medium heat. Add the fish pie mix and prawns, cooking for approximately 4 minutes until the prawns just turn pink. Carefully scoop out the fish and prawns and set aside, reserving the milk.
Prepare the Harissa Sauce: Add the harissa paste to the cooked onions and peppers, cooking for 2 minutes. Stir in the cornflour, then gradually add the reserved milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Stir in the double cream.
Add Spinach and Fish: Stir the roughly chopped spinach into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Gently mix in the cooked fish and prawns, being careful not to break them up.
Assemble the Pie: Pour the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish approximately 25 x 18 cm. Spoon the sweet potato mash evenly on top from end to end, smoothing with a knife and creating ridges with a fork.
Bake and Grill: Bake the assembled pie in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, finish it under the grill on the hottest setting for 10 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crisp.
Serve: Serve the harissa fish pie hot, accompanied by steamed green beans.

Notes

You can speed up cooking the sweet potatoes by using a microwave.
Ensure the fish pie mix contains smoked haddock for authentic flavor.
Handle the cooked fish and prawns gently to keep them intact in the sauce.
The ridges in the sweet potato topping help create a crispy texture when grilled.
Adjust harissa paste quantity to control the spice level according to taste.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: North African Inspired / British

Keywords: harissa fish pie, sweet potato topping, seafood pie, smoked haddock, king prawns, spicy fish pie, healthy fish pie, comfort food