Two years ago, we had our thirtieth wedding anniversary. We were in college (not by choice). Being well-behaved little Poindexters, we finished our research papers early. The plan was to submit them and CELEBRATE! (Dun, Dun, DUN) The professor decided papers could only be submitted in a program none of the students had heard of. We ran the converter program and got ready to submit. A glitch corrupted and locked every version of the papers. (About 70% of the class had the same problem!) So, we spent our anniversary panicking and reconstructing the papers from notes and memory.
The year of our thirty-first was spent in the hospital dealing with a life-threatening medical emergency. Afterward, we celebrated the fact that everyone still had a pulse. However, our anniversary slipped by the wayside.
This year…COVID-19. 🤦🏻♀️ ‘Nuff said.
It would be easy to decide that “April showers bring May flowers”…that are blotted out by June’s Big Black Cloud. Yet, we’re clinging to a more optimistic view. For those of you who don’t know, Liam and I both work in healthcare. He’s been given the opportunity to work from home for a few months. I work in an ICU and am considered ‘essential personnel’. Apart from a hiccough early on, we’ve kept our health and our income. Our kids are healthy. We’ve also become rockstars at low-key family celebrations. This anniversary we exchanged cards. The kids did our chores. We read aloud and played games as a family. It was lovely!
Then, I cooked. I’m one of those weird people who love to cook! Okay, honestly I’m weird in a lot of ways. But, futzing around in my kitchen relaxes me. It’s my creative outlet and my stress relief. Cooking is also my go-to for showing love. Liam…likes to eat. Just kidding! Well, he does like to eat. He also hates to cook. However, he’s by far the more care-taking of us. Anyway, I made a special dinner in lieu of a gift or a night out.
Warning! I’m about to sound like my train has derailed. Stay with me, I promise there is a through-line! Here we go: There’s an amazing Irish pub in Dallas. We used to go there often. Liam loved their Dublin Bay Casserole. He was seriously offended when they took it off the menu. Unfortunately, even if the pub revived it, both social distancing and physical distance make the pub off-limits. So, I made my version.
We’ve called this “that-Dublin-Bay-thing-from-the-pub” for years. However, I didn’t want to plagiarize. So, I asked the kids what they thought we should call it. Jonah said “It’s a ‘fishy’ Shepherd’s Pie. So, if shepherds eat sheep and cottagers eat beef, this belongs to a fisherman”. Hmmm…logic. Fisherman’s Pie it is.
The dish is a mix of vegetables and seafood tucked into a parmesan béchamel sauce. A layer of fluffy mashed potatoes makes the top crust. The pie has a decadent feel, but we made it for under $15. It fed five of us twice. Just choose the seafood that matches your tastes AND your budget.
I know the recipe looks complex, but it isn’t. It just has three components: filling, mashed potatoes, and sauce. I often pre/par-cook vegetables for the week. If I’ve done that, I simply toss them in the dish with the seafood. Then, I only make the sauce and mashed potatoes, assemble, and bake. Don’t misunderstand! I wouldn’t make this my first day off after three night shifts in a row. But, then, I have trouble making my way to the dinner table on those days! 😉
Seafood Casserole: Fisherman’s Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs. Russet Potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 tbsps Butter
- ½-1 cup Milk to your prefered consistency
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsps baking powder
Filling
- 6 ounces Salmon or fish of choice
- 1 lb. Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tin Smoked Oysters
- ½-1 cup Chopped Carrots
- ½ cup Chopped Celery
- ½-¾ cup Minced Onion
- ½ cup Green Peas
- ¾ cup Broccoli Florets
Bechemel Sauce
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Flour gluten-free works (We use Pamelas.)
- 2½ cups Milk
- pinch Nutmeg
- ½ cup Parmesian
Instructions
Prepare the Potatoes and Vegetables
- Use the first four ingredients to make mashed potatoes.
- When mashed potatoes are ready, stir in 2t baking powder. (This makes them light after baking)
- Boil the broccoli and carrots until tender (not mushy).
- Just before the broccoli and carrots are done, add the peas.
- Saute the onion on low heat until brown and soft.
- Add celery and saute for a few more minutes.
Parmesan Bechamel Sauce
- Melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour.
- Continue whisking until bubbly.
- Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking consistently.
- When the sauce is lump free, add the parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
- Continue stirring until the sauce thickens .
Making the Pie
- Layer the vegetables and seafood in a 9×9" sprayed pan.
- Pour the sauce on top, then tap and jiggle to push the sauce into any air pockets.
- Space scoops of mashed potatoes across the top, then carefully spatula them level.
- Use a fork to decorate the top (or not. Sometimes, I make peaks like a meringue and call it rustic.)
- Brush with butter or spray with oil. Sprinkle with parsley.
- Bake at 350° until hot and bubbly (about 45 minutes).
- Broil until golden if desired.
Notes
Whether or not you’re a fisherman, if you like seafood, I hope you’ll give this a try. We really love it. Are there any favorite restaurant meals you recreate at home? Does anyone else feel fated to avoid restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and the theatre? I’d love to hear how your family is doing during the current turmoil. Have a safe and healthy week!
This post has been shared at some of our favorite blog hops and linky parties! Please take the time to see some of the great information being shared there.
To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party
