Description
This Seafood Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit topping is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for any seafood lover. Featuring a savory seafood filling with shrimp, scallops, crab, and lobster in a creamy herb sauce, topped with golden, flaky cheddar biscuits, this recipe combines rich textures and fresh flavors for an impressive yet easy-to-make meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Filling
- 1 pound mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, crab meat, lobster meat), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups fish stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
Cheddar Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened and slightly translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add Garlic and Flour: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to form a roux for thickening.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add Stock and Cream: Gradually whisk in fish or chicken stock until smooth, then stir in heavy cream. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Season Sauce: Add parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cook Seafood: Gently fold in mixed seafood and cook 3-5 minutes until just cooked through; shrimp should be pink and scallops firm. Avoid overcooking to prevent rubbery texture.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in frozen peas and corn, cooking an additional 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Set Aside Filling: Remove filling from heat and set aside to prepare biscuits.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Biscuits: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Cut in Butter: Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry blender or fingertips to cut into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Add Cheese: Stir shredded cheddar cheese into the flour mixture.
- Add Buttermilk: Make a well in the center, pour in cold buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined into a shaggy, slightly sticky dough. Do not overmix.
- Shape Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut Biscuits: Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter or sharp knife to cut out biscuits without twisting to maintain flakiness.
- Arrange Biscuits: Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.
- Brush with Butter: Brush biscuit tops with melted butter for a golden color and rich flavor.
- Bake Biscuits: Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Assemble Pot Pies: Divide seafood filling evenly into oven-safe bowls or ramekins.
- Top with Biscuits: Place cheddar biscuits on top of the filling in each bowl, arranging as desired.
- Optional Reheat: If filling has cooled, bake assembled pot pies at 375°F (190°C) for 10-15 minutes until heated through and biscuits are golden. Skip if filling is warm.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the seafood; it should be just opaque and firm.
- Do not overmix biscuit dough to keep biscuits tender and flaky.
- If you don’t have fish stock, chicken stock works well as a substitute.
- Deglazing the pan with white wine adds depth and flavor to the sauce.
- For a richer biscuit topping, use sharp cheddar cheese but feel free to experiment with other cheeses.
- The optional reheating step ensures the filling is warm when serving if it cooled down during biscuit baking.
