Lobster Pot Pie

It's 4:30 IN THE MORNING!! I can't sleep, so naturally, I'm posting.

This was a trial run dinner, well sort of. I had planned this for my mother's birthday dinner back in January, and then she left for 3 weeks to visit my sister in North Carolina. So naturally, we had to try it just to make sure it was going to be good enough. Now that Mom is back home now, I will be making it again for her. But since then, it has been my birthday too, so she has promised me her Shrimp Creole. It's fabulous, so when she does, I will get that post up immediately. I know you will love it as much as our whole family!

Lobster Pot Pie adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

1-1/2 C chopped onion

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1/2 C all-purpose flour

2-1/2 c lobster stock (I had it on hand, but you can use fish stock)

1 T Pernod

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

3 T heavy cream

3/4 pound cook fresh lobster meat

1-1/2 c frozen peas

1-1/2 C frozen small whole onions

1/2 C minced flat-leaf parsley

1 pkg frozen puff pastry

Sea Salt for garnish

Saute the onions with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, salt, pepper and dash of cayenne and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream.

Cut the lobster meat into med-sized cubes. Place the lobster, frozen peas, frozen onions and parsley in a bowl (there is no need to defrost the vegetables). Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Divide among 4 oven proof soup bowls and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry sheets slightly and cut out four circles large enough to cover soup bowls (about 1-inch larger that diameter of bowls). Brush tops of bowls with an egg wash. Cover with pastry circle and press tightly to top/side edge of bowl. Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle tops with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Make several slashes on each pastry top and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. Enjoy!

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Vegetable Pot Pie

This version of my vegetable pot pie has flavorings from Provence but with a touch of poblano, I couldn't resist. I began with a recipe from our buddy Ina Garten but it morphed into something far different. We loved it and I especially love Puff Pastry, it's right up there with cream sauces in my book. This is simple to make ahead if you are expecting company, just store them in the freezer and you can have them anytime.

Serves 4

12 Tbl unsalted Butter (1-1/2 sticks)

2 C sliced Onions (2 onions)

1 large Leek, carefully washed and sliced

1 Tbl Tarragon

1/2 C Flour

2-1/2 C Chicken Stock

1 Tbl Pernod (Pernod is anise-flavored liqueur from France)

Pinch of Saffron threads

1-1/2 tsp Grey Salt

1 tsp freshly ground Pepper

4 Tbl Heavy Cream

1-1/2 C peeled large-diced Potatoes (1/2 pound)

1-1/2 C peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)

1 large Poblano Pepper- roasted, peeled & diced

1 sheet Puff Pastry

1 Egg

Grey Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper for garnish

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute' until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron,tarragon, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Poblano, the heavy cream and sea on to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the carrots to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes and carrots to the large pot with the rest of the sauce and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Roll out the puff pastry slightly and cut into 4 circles large enough to overlap sides of bowls by 1/2-inch on all sides. In a small bowl, make egg wash by beating a small amount of water into beaten egg. Brush the top edge of each bowl withe the egg wash. Cover each bowl with the circles of puff pastry, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with the egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with the Grey Salt and Pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Enjoy!

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