Shrimp Pot Pies

With the large amount of food we had for the Mardi Gras party, I chose to make 4 oz. individual shrimp pot pies. You could certainly make them in 8 oz. ramekins or in a large casserole dish. Puff pastry "toppers", cooked separately, are added after the filling is cooked. I thought they looked beautiful and they tasted even better.  

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 T. all purpose flour

1 T. butter

1 cup chopped onions

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 t. dried thyme

8 oz. clam juice or seafood stock

1 8 oz. potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 pounds small, deveined, peeled uncooked shrimp cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup tiny frozen green peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pastry into 8 circles. I used the bottom of the 4 oz. ramekins as a guide.  Use whatever size dish you are using as a guide for trimming the pastry. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet.

Whisk cream and flour in a small bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute or so. Add vermouth or wine and simmer until liquid almost all of it evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add thyme.

Add clam juice or shrimp stock and potato. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add cream/flour mixture to skillet and stir. Simmer until sauce thickens and boils. Reduce heat. Add shrimp and peas and simmer until shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide hot filling about your baking dishes. Bake until filling bubbles, about 5 minutes.  

Remove from oven.  Let rest for a few minutes, top with the pastry and serve immediately.

Here's what they look like straight from the oven. You could certainly serve them without the pastry, but, come on.....would you really want to?  

Adapted from Epicurious.com