Seafood Pie

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick of Cape Town, South Africa for this one:

Because they had no reservations at a busy restaurant, my elderly
neighbor and his wife were told there would be a 45-minute wait for a
table. "Young man, we're both 90 years old," the husband said . "We may
not have 45 minutes." They were seated immediately.

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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This classic British dish is traditionally topped with mashed potatoes,
and you can certainly do that too, but I think my version with its crisp
rosti-style grated potatoes makes an interesting alternative. Be sure to
use waxy potatoes rather than baking potatoes for this dish because
baking potatoes will be too soft and you'll wind up with mashed potatoes anyway.

Seafood Pie

3/4 lb (350 g) firm white fish such as haddock, turbot, or cod, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb (225 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb (225 g) scallops
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
1 cup (250 ml) fish or vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the topping:
1 1/2-2 lbs (1.35-1.8 Kg) waxy red or white potatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the fish, shrimp, and scallops in a baking dish. Heat the butter
in a saucepan over moderate heat and saute the onion until tender but
not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in the white wine, stock, and cream and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly to prevent lumps. Add the herbs, salt, and pepper and pour
over the seafood in the baking dish, stirring gently to thoroughly
combine. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until barely
tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool. Peel and
coarsely grate the potatoes and toss with the melted butter. Spread the
potatoes over the seafood mixture and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake
in a preheated 425F (220C) oven until the fish is cooked and the topping
is crisp and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Oct 14 19:51:21 2008