Can I use frozen fish in a fish pie suitable for home freezing?

In the UK (and probably elsewhere), frozen fish is considerably cheaper and more common than fresh fish. In an ideal world, I would use fresh fish along with a cream or milk based bechamel sauce, spinach, cheese and potatoes then freeze any leftovers, but this is really expensive. How would a reheated frozen dish using fresh fish compare with one made using frozen fish? Assuming there are no intrinsic food safety issues associated with this practice, would the quality of the dish suffer from using frozen fish that was reheated twice? I've heard that most "Fresh" fish in UK supermarkets was already pre-frozen then defrosted, which would make it pointless purchasing it specifically for this dish.

Best Answer

I think your question needs clarifying, and better limited to a single question. However, freezing and thawing, repeatedly, particularly with fish, generally impacts texture in a negative way. There is not safety issue, per se. Given your preparation, you might not be too concerned about the texture, but that is probably the main issue.

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Can I use frozen fish in a fish pie suitable for home freezing? - Top view of fresh fish and vegetables put on cutting board near wooden dishware and wicker basket with pepper shaker and jar in kitchen

Can I use frozen fish in a fish pie suitable for home freezing? - Fresh vegetables and fish on cutting board in kitchen

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Can you freeze fish pie made with frozen fish?

FREEZING TIPSYou can either freeze the filling and mash separately (in freezer bags is fine) and add the egg once the filling has defrosted. Or, if you do not want to add egg, then the pie can be frozen whole.

Can you cook frozen fish pie mix from frozen?

Simply cook from frozen. Skinless & boneless. Oven cook 40 minutes.

Can you freeze frozen fish?

It is safe to freeze meat, poultry and fish directly in its original packaging.

Should I defrost homemade fish pie before cooking?

Thaw the pie or leftovers overnight in the fridge. Bake the whole pie following the instructions in the recipe, but allow an extra 10-20 minutes cooking time as the pie will be very cold when it goes into the oven.

Cooking Pie from the Freezer

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