Recipe - Curried Shellfish Pot Pie

6 tablespoon Unsalted butter
One half cup Unbleached allpurpose flour
1 cup Clam broth
Three fourths cup Dry sherry
1 cup Light cream or milk
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
3 tablespoon Freshly grated ginger
3 lg Garlic cloves
peeled and crushed
2 tablespoon Curry powder (hot or mild)
1/8 teaspoon Ground red pepper
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
One half cup Chopped flatleaf parsley
One half Meat from a 1 One fourth pound lobster
steamed or boiled
5 minutes to loosen,
then removed and chopped
1 One half pound Large shrimp
peeled and deveined
Three fourths pound Young carrots; scraped,
trimmed, cut into
2in lengths, blanched
for 2 minutes
4 ounce Shiitake mushrooms
stems removed
and cut into thick slices
1 cup Slivered almonds; toasted
10 ounce Frozen "petite" peas
defrosted
16 ounce Frozen pearl onions
defrosted
1 pound Allbutter puff pastry
defrosted in the
refrigerator if frozen
1 Egg; mixed with
1 tablespoon Water, for egg wash

PREHEAT OVEN TO 425F. Invert a 3quart oval or rectangular casserole,
preferably earthenware or porcelain, onto a piece of parchment or waxed
paper. Trace the shape, adding a 1inch border all around, then cut it out.
In a large heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium high heat until it
foams. Whisk in the flour, adjust the heat to medium low, and continue
cooking until the flour is lightcream colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in
the clam broth, sherry, cream and lemon juice. Adjust the heat to medium
high, and slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 30
seconds longer. It will be quite thick. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir
in the ginger, garlic, curry powder, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Let
the mixture cook slightly, then fold in the parsley, lobster, shrimp,
carrots, mushrooms, almonds, peas and onions. Scrape the filling into the
casserole. On a slightly floured work space, roll the puff pastry to a
thickness of One fourth inch. Cut it out, using the paper template. In the center
of the pastry, cut out an air hole about One half inch in diameter. Place the
pastry over the casserole, pressing it down on the sides to seal. Cut the
remaining pastry into strips or shapes and decorate the top of the pot pie.
(This dish may be prepared ahead to this point, covered and refrigerated up
to 1 day.) Brush the top with the egg wash. To help prevent the liquid from
boiling over onto the crust, make a steam vent by rolling a 3inch strip of
heavy aluminum foil widthwise around a wooden spoon handle. Insert it
gently into the hole. Remove spoon, leaving foil in place. Place the
casserole on a cookie sheet and transfer it to the middle of the oven. Bake
for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and continue baking for 20to25
minutes longer, or until the pastry is puffed and rich golden brown. Remove
the pan, let it rest with the vent inside for 15to20 minutes to keep the
crust from becoming soggy.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini