Smoked Fish Pie NZ: Best Recipe, Tips & Fish Selection

There’s something about a smoked fish pie that feels like a warm hug on a cold Kiwi evening. We’ll walk through the best recipes, the fish to choose, and the techniques that make a truly memorable pie — with tips from top NZ chefs and trusted sources.

Origin: New Zealand ·
Main ingredient: Smoked fish (e.g., kahawai, snapper) ·
Topping: Mashed potato

Five key facts about this classic dish, drawn from reliable NZ sources:

What is the best smoked fish pie recipe in New Zealand?

Top-rated NZ recipes

• NZ Herald’s classic smoked fish pie – lightly seasons white fish, simmers in milk, then builds a white sauce with onions, bay leaf, and cloves. Adds peas, parsley, capers, and hard-boiled egg before topping with mashed potato. Bakes at 180°C for 30–40 minutes (NZ Herald).
• Seafood NZ’s classic smoked fish pie – finishes with grated cheese, sliced tomatoes, and cracked pepper on top of the mashed potato (Seafood NZ).
• Al Brown’s smoked fish and kumara pie – a twist using kumara mash, featured on the government-backed Love Food Hate Waste site (Love Food Hate Waste NZ).
• Jess’ creamy smoked fish pie – seasons the mash and filling with mustard, nutmeg, and lemon zest (NZ Herald).

Key ingredients in a classic NZ smoked fish pie

• Smoked fish (kahawai, snapper, or tarakihi) and white fish fillets
• Milk, butter, flour for the roux-based sauce
• Mashed potato topping (sometimes with cheese or kumara)
• Hard-boiled eggs (optional, but common)
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf, parsley

Eight recipes, one pattern: the best NZ smoked fish pies all start with a poached fish and a creamy white sauce, but the toppings and extras vary widely. The implication: you can personalise the pie to your taste without losing the soul of the dish.

What is the best fish for fish pie in NZ?

Popular fish for smoking in NZ

• Kahawai, mackerel, and eel are commonly smoked, according to The Fishing Website.
• Smoking with a 1:1 salt-to-sugar ratio, low and slow, is recommended for flavour.

Best fish for texture and flavor in pie

• Snapper, gurnard, and tarakihi are preferred for their flaky, moist texture (Seafood NZ).
• Combining smoked and fresh fish adds depth – a tip echoed by several NZ recipes.

Three fish varieties, one contrast: oily smoked fish delivers bold flavour, while flaky white fish provides the tender bite. The catch: choose based on whether you want a prominent smoky taste or a milder, more delicate pie.

For a quick comparison:

What’s the secret to a good fish pie?

The importance of a creamy sauce

• A well-made white sauce (roux-based) is crucial – the Otago Daily Times advises adding milk slowly to avoid lumps.
• Seasoning with nutmeg, bay leaf, and parsley lifts the flavour, as seen in the NZ Herald recipe.
• Some recipes add cream or juice from the fish for extra richness (Otago Daily Times).

Choosing the right potato topping

• Mashed potato should be creamy but firm enough to hold shape – adding cheese creates a golden crust (Seafood NZ).
• Al Brown’s kumara twist uses a sweet potato mash for a lighter, slightly sweeter topping (Love Food Hate Waste NZ).

The pattern: every great fish pie balances a properly made roux with a well-textured topping.

Should you cook fish before putting in fish pie?

Benefits of pre-cooking fish

• Pre-cooking (poaching) fish in milk ensures even cooking and prevents sogginess – the NZ Herald recipe simmers white fish until almost cooked, then reserves the milk for the sauce.
• Poaching in milk infuses flavour and creates a base for the white sauce.

When to add raw fish

• Raw fish can be used if cut small and baked long enough, but most NZ recipes recommend poaching first.
• Smoked fish is already cooked, so it only needs warming in the pie – overbaking can dry it out.

The trade-off: poaching adds a step but guarantees a moist, tender filling. Skipping it risks a watery or unevenly cooked pie.

Why put eggs in fish pie?

Role of eggs in binding and flavor

• Hard-boiled eggs add richness and texture – the NZ Herald classic recipe includes sliced eggs in the filling.
• Eggs help bind the filling and thicken the sauce, creating a more substantial pie.

Alternatives to eggs

• Some recipes omit eggs for a lighter version – extra fish or vegetables (like silverbeet) can replace them (NZ Herald).
• For a dairy-free option, leave out the eggs and use a thicker sauce.

The implication: eggs are a flexible component that can be adjusted based on dietary needs and desired richness.

Step-by-step: How to make a classic NZ smoked fish pie

1. Poach the fish. Place 500g mixed smoked and fresh fish fillets in a pan with 2 cups milk. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes until the fresh fish is just cooked. Reserve the milk. (NZ Herald)
2. Make the white sauce. Melt 50g butter, sauté 1 chopped onion, stir in 50g flour, then gradually add the reserved milk. Season with bay leaf, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook until thickened. (Otago Daily Times)
3. Assemble the filling. Flake the poached fish, discarding skin and bones. Fold into the sauce with 2 hard-boiled eggs (sliced), ½ cup peas, and 2 tbsp chopped parsley. (NZ Herald)
4. Prepare the topping. Mash 800g cooked potatoes with butter and milk until creamy but firm. Spread over the filling. For a golden crust, top with grated cheese and sliced tomatoes. (Seafood NZ)
5. Bake. Bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes, until bubbling and golden. If using kumara mash, finish under the grill for 5 minutes. (NZ Herald)

The takeaway: following these steps ensures a consistent, crowd-pleasing result every time.

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Smoked fish pie is a traditional New Zealand comfort food (NZ Herald).
• Common fish used include snapper, gurnard, tarakihi, and kahawai (Seafood NZ).
• Mashed potato topping is standard across most recipes (Otago Daily Times).
• Baking temperature is 180°C for 30–40 minutes (NZ Herald).
• Hard-boiled eggs are a common but optional ingredient (NZ Herald).

What’s unclear

• Best fish to smoke is subjective and depends on personal preference (The Fishing Website).
• Whether to cook fish before pie is debated among chefs (NZ Herald).
• The exact origin of the dish is not documented (Love Food Hate Waste NZ).

What this means: while many aspects are settled, personal preference still plays a role in fish choice and preparation methods.

Quotes from NZ chefs

“Using kumara in the mash adds a subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with smoky fish, and it’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables.”

— Chef Al Brown, in a recipe for Love Food Hate Waste NZ

“The secret to a creamy pie is seasoning the mash and filling with mustard, nutmeg, and lemon zest – it brightens the whole dish.”

— Jess, recipe creator at NZ Herald

The insight from these chefs highlights how small tweaks can transform a classic dish.

Summary

New Zealand’s smoked fish pie is more than a recipe – it’s a comfort food tradition that adapts to what’s available. Whether you choose kahawai or snapper, a classic potato topping or a kumara twist, the key is a well-made sauce and respect for the fish. For Kiwi home cooks, the choice is clear: master the basics, then experiment with local flavours, or stick to the time-tested classics that have warmed tables for generations.

Related reading: Classic smoked fish pie recipe · Smoked fish pie recipe

Frequently asked questions

These answers address common curiosities and help home cooks navigate variations and comparisons.