I was never a huge fan of the vegetables I found in my pot pie when I was a kid, mainly the peas and carrots. However, I absolutely loved, loved, loved the flaky crust, the tender chunks of chicken and the rich, flavorful gravy.
This recipe is a more adult version of my childhood favorite, instead, I used sweet, tender lobster, delicate shrimp and briny crawfish as the proteins, and replaced the chicken broth with clam juice. The clam juice adds another layer of that great briny seafood flavor without it tasting too fishy. And much to my mother’s delight, I now have no qualms eating peas and carrots, in fact, they’re an absolute must for that nostalgic look and flavor.
Let this dish cool for 5 to 10 minutes before you eat it. You’ll be at risk for first degree burns on your tongue if you don’t because this dish comes out of the oven super hot!
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh lobster meat
1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. fresh crawfish tails
4 shallots, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled & chopped
1 egg
1 cup canned peas, rinsed
1 sheet prepared puff pastry, room temperature
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water
Directions:
1) In a deep saute pan, add the carrots and potatoes with enough water to cover the vegetables. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook the vegetables 15 to 20 minutes until they are just fork-tender, don’t overcook them. Strain the vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
2) Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and fennel to the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions are tender.
3) Stir the cornstarch into the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) Add the clam juice, salt, pepper, and cashew milk, and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
5) Chop the lobster meat and the shrimp into one-inch sized chunks and add them to the pan along with the crawfish, peas, carrots, potatoes, and parsley. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the seafood is pink. Adjust seasoning as needed.
6) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a 14-inch oval, ovenproof ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
7) Roll out the puff pastry sheet until it’s about 1/2-inch thick and slightly larger than the diameter of your baking dish.
8) Spray the baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the seafood mixture into the pan. Lay the pastry dough on top and crimp the excess dough along the edge of the dish creating a scalloped pattern.
9) Mix the egg and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, generously brush the egg wash over the dough.
10) Using a sharp knife, cut three elongated vents into the dough so the steam created during cooking can escape.
11) Place the pan in the oven and bake the pot pie for 40 to 50 minutes until the dough is browned and flakey, and the sauce is bubbly. Check the pot pie after 30 minutes to ensure the pastry dough isn’t browning too quickly. If it does, lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the dough, so the pie can continue cooking without the dough burning. Don’t close the foil over the pan; you’ll still need to allow the steam to vent from the interior of the pie.
12) When the pot pie is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
