Recipes

Annabel Karmel Baby Weaning Recipe: Mini Fish Pies

A delicious, nutritious meal for your little one.

From leading children’s cookery author and feeding expert Annabel Karmel, Weaning includes everything you need to know about traditional and baby-led weaning, advice on when to start, critical nutrients, how to cater for allergies and intolerances, and more than 60 healthy and delicious recipes to delight your little one. Get started with Annabel’s Mini Fish Pies recipe below.

Mini Fish Pies Recipe

Makes: 6 portions
Suitable from: 9 months
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Provides: Energy, protein, omega-3 EFAs, vitamin A, vitamin B12

Ingredients

40g (1½ oz) butter or dairy-free spread
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp flour or gluten-free flour or 1 tbsp cornflour
150ml (5fl  oz) fish stock
200ml (7fl  oz) whole milk or a suitable dairy-free formula milk for under 12 months of almond milk for over 12 months
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
25g (¾ oz) Parmesan cheese or dairy-free alternative,  grated
450g (1lb) mixed salmon and cod, diced

Potato topping:
500g (1lb 2oz) white potato, peeled and diced
100g (3½ oz) carrot, chopped
A knob of butter or dairy-free spread
1 tbsp whole milk or a suitable dairy-free formula milk for under 12 months or almond milk for over 12 months
30g (1oz) Parmesan cheese or dairy-free alternative, grated

1.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar and stir until evaporated. Add the flour. If using cornflour, see step 2.

2.

Add the fish stock and milk, bring up to the boil and whisk until thickened. If using cornflour, mix it with 2 tablespoons of cold water and then add to the milk, and stir until thickened.

3.

Add the tomatoes, dill, and Parmesan. Stir, then add the fish. Spoon into six ramekins about 10cm (4in) in diameter. 

4.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (fan 180ºC), gas 6.

5.

Cook the potatoes and carrot in a pan of boiling water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter, milk, and cheese. Spread on top of the pies.

6.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until bubbling. Allow to cool down before serving.

7.

Defrost overnight in the fridge or for several hours at room temperature. Reheat in an oven preheated to 180ºC (fan 160ºC), gas 4 for 15 minutes.