Who Likes Pie?

I love pie. Like many folks, I have fond memories of pie made by favorite relatives. There is no way anyone can challenge my Grams’ Lemon Meringue pie recipe, so in honor of February’s National Pie Month -- and out of respect for Grams -- let’s move pie from the dessert menu to the main course.  This seafood pie is simple to make and very satisfying.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 5-7 minutes

Yield: 2 individual seafood pies

Ingredients:

2 5” pie shells- available in the freezer section of your grocery

12 medium shrimp- peeled and deveined

2 oz. crab meat- you do not have to use jumbo lump. For this recipe I used “special” grade.

2 oz salmon - diced and uncooked

1 Leek- use the bottom (white part) of one leek chopped

10 Cherry tomatoes or small Heirloom tomatoes

1 T chopped shallots

1 t chopped garlic

1 oz. vegetable oil

2 oz. white wine (water, lemon juice or a wine vinegar may be substituted)

3 oz. heavy cream

1 t salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

Celery leaves for garnish

You’ll need:

Large sauté pan

Preparation:

Preheat oven and partially bake pie shells to light golden color, approximately 10 minutes. No browning at this point. 

Dice the bottom of one leek. Leeks have a sandy consistency and should be washed after dicing by soaking in a pan of water. Remove the diced leek from the water, leaving the grit behind. Put aside. 

Add 1 oz. vegetable oil and seafood to a preheated hot sauté pan. Spread the seafood in the pan and leave it alone for 1 minute. Shake the pan and continue for another minute. 

Add white wine. Reduce. Quickly add chopped leeks, tomatoes, garlic, shallots.  Shake pan and leave for another minute. 

Add cream. Season with salt and pepper as cream reduces. The cream sauce is the binding for your ingredients. In about two minutes the cream will be close to the thickness you’ll need for your pie base. You’ll notice large bubbles, especially on the perimeter; this means your cream has reduced enough to be the thick binding agent you need. Remove from heat and, when cool enough, taste and season with salt and cracked pepper to your preference. Now is the time to adjust the consistency. If your pie is too soupy, return to heat and simmer. If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of cream.

Once you’ve gotten the right consistency (thick, not runny), remove from heat and gently spoon into your prepared pie shells. Place your pies in a 375-degree oven for 10 more minutes to further brown the edges.

After the finished pie came out of the oven, I chose to garnish with chopped celery leaves. These little green leaves are an under-appreciated flavor dynamo. They capture the taste of celery without the strings and make the other ingredients pop. However, a traditional lattice topping works well too. Enjoy your unique pie and celebrate National Pie Month!