FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - IRISH SCALLOP "PIE"

If it's "Irish" you know it has potatoes!  This is a delicious variation on Shepherd's Pie and perfect for the Lenten season.  The recipe calls for baking in the traditional "pie" shape but I also like to bake it in ramekins for individual servings as a decadent first course.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds fresh large scallops

1 carrot [diced]

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1 generous tablespoon all purpose flour

8 sliced white mushrooms

1/4 cup cooking sherry

1 cup light cream 

3 cups mashed potatoes [prepared]*

1 egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*

Prepare mashed potatoes as you normally would but beat in 1 egg and set aside. This is also an excellent use for leftover mashed potatoes!

Rinse the scallops and quarter them.  Poach them in the light cream, salt and pepper for 15 minutes.

Parboil the carrot, drain and set aside.

While the scallops are poaching, melt the butter in a small sauté pan and sauté the mushrooms. When the scallops are done, drain but reserve the warm light cream. When the mushrooms are softened, stir in the flour and mix well.  Then add the warmed light cream and the sherry while stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, add the scallops, sherry and carrot.

Transfer the scallop mixture to a casserole dish [ceramic pie or quiche dish works well]. Cover with the mashed potatoes and dot with additional butter if desired.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve with soda bread and your favorite ale.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

*prepare mashed potatoes with milk, butter, salt and pepper.  A tub of prepared mashed potatoes from your grocer's refrigerated section [Country Crock, Bob Evans, etc.] are a great shortcut trick for this. 

BONUS RECIPES - COQUILLES ST. JACQUES

Here is another meatless recipe for Lent but it's good year 'round.  It's easy, delicious and elegant.  You can serve it as an appetizer or entree and wait for the "wows"!  This is my shortcut version of a time consuming classic but no one will ever know.

Ingredients:

4 scallop baking shells*

12 medium shrimp [peeled & cleaned]

4 large sea scallops

1 lobster tail 

1 can condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup

1/3 cup light cream or whole milk

2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper 

1/3 cup Corn Flake crumbs or crushed Ritz Crackers

pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons sherry

salt

ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425* with rack just above center

In 2 quart saucepan bring 1 quart of water, vinegar and 1 tsp. salt to a boil.  When the water reaches the boil lower to simmer and add the shrimp.  As soon as the shrimp turn pale pink [very quickly] remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl leaving the water in the pan.  Repeat with the lobster tail and cook for about 4 minutes and remove to a plate leaving the water.  Now add the scallops to the water and remove from heat.  Cook for 1 minute and remove.  Now you can discard the water.

Shell and clean the shrimp leaving the tails on, if they were not already done. Shell the lobster tail and cut in half length-wise and then cut each half into 4 pieces.  Quarter each scallop.

In a small pan combine the can of soup, cream and sherry and gently warm over low heat while stirring.  Add  a 1/4 tsp. of black pepper and pinch of nutmeg.  Remove the warmed sauce from the heat and stir in the roasted red pepper.

In each scallop shell arrange 3 shrimp, 4 pieces scallop and 2 pieces lobster.  Cover each with sauce and top with corn flake crumbs.

Place shells on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

For an appetizer, serve one each on a plate.  For an entree** serve each shell on a bed of buttered rice with a vegetable on the side.

*you can substitute ramekins for the shells.

** you can also bake the mixture in a small casserole dish and serve in baked puff pastry shells over rice. 

This dish pairs beautifully with a semi-sec sparkling wine.

Coquilles St. Jacques