casserole-fruits-de-mer



Seafood Casserole

Recipe excerpt from Jovette's recipe box


Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of water (1 L) - Note: do not use all for cooking the rice
  • 1 cup long-grain rice (250 ml)
  • 2 tsp salt (10 ml)
  • 1 beaten egg
  • â…“ cup fresh parsley, chopped (80 ml)
  • â…“ cup butter (80 ml)
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups fennel or celery, chopped (375 ml)
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (15 ml) or 1 ½ tsp dried dill (7 ml)
  • 1 tsp pepper (5 ml)
  • 500 g scallops (1 lb)
  • 500 g raw shrimp, unpeeled (1 lb)
  • 1 package frozen crab meat, roughly chopped (½ lb/200 g)
  • (Frozen crab meat can be replaced with canned crab or omitted altogether, as it is expensive and doesn't add much)
  • ÂĽ cup flour (60 ml)
  • 1 ½ cups milk (375 ml)
  • 1 package cream cheese (½ lb/250 g)
  • ÂĽ tsp dried thyme (1 ml)
  • 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs, crumbled (375 ml)
  • 2 tbsp melted butter (30 ml)
  • fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

In a saucepan, combine the rice, 2 cups (500 ml) of water, and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add the beaten egg and 2 tbsp of parsley, and mix. Set aside.

In a skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and fennel, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add 1/2 tsp of dill, 1/4 tsp of the remaining salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Mix. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl.

Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and pour in the remaining water. Bring to a boil. Add the scallops and poach for 1 to 3 minutes or until opaque. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Shell and devein the shrimp. Add the shrimp and crab meat to the onion mixture. Set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Using a whisk, add the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Gradually whisk in the reserved cooking liquid and milk until the mixture thickens. Add the cream cheese, remaining dill, salt, pepper, and thyme, and whisk until the cheese has melted. Add the reserved seafood mixture and the remaining parsley, and mix.

Spread the reserved rice mixture in the bottom of a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Using a spoon, cover with the seafood mixture. (You can prepare the seafood casserole up to this point, let it cool, and cover it. It will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator and up to 2 weeks in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe.)

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the seafood casserole with this mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is crispy.

Garnish with fresh parsley.



Jovette TĂŞtu

Jovette TĂŞtu

Jovette TĂŞtu

Jovette TĂŞtu

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