Seafood Pot Pie

I'm a few weeks behind, but I celebrated my 28th birthday in October! Woo!  I love my birthday, and getting older doesn't scare me at all.  I don't feel old.  Well, except when I go yard sale-ing every weekend.  Or when I go to bed at 9pm.  Or when I see 'kids' born in the 90's buying booze and cigarettes.  Or when the expiration date on my new passport says 2021 (that's SOOO the future!).  Okay...maybe those times I feel a little old.  Oh wait! There was also the time at the gym the other day when someone thought that VH1's Pop-Up Video was a new thing!  WHHATTT!?  Oh Boy.

Please tell me you know about pop up video.  Like, pop up video from back in the day.  If you don't remember it, then please, stop reading this blog and go finish your homework.  It's past your bedtime anyways.

So....okay. Maybe sometimes I feel old. But I don't really feel old.  You know what I mean?  I don't think I act old.  I even get carded (most of the time).

For my birthdays, I use to want to go out to eat, but for the past few years I've just wanted to stay in and cook for myself.  It usually gives me an excuse to splurge on "special occasion" ingredients such as high quality meats, cheeses, and seafood.  This year I was planning on making myself a cake in addition to dinner, which I delayed until the weekend, and then we ended up going out and having a bunch of fun and I never got around to the cake.  That ended up being quite alright with us, because we ended up splurging on all sorts of other gluttonous things over the weekend.

A few weeks before my birthday, I spotted an Alaskan Cod Pot Pie online and knew that was going to be my birthday dinner.  Cod, creamy goodness, and golden flaky crust...what's not to love?!?  It's safe to say that we both enjoyed this dinner a lot.  I'm not sure what I was thinking by making the ENTIRE recipe, I mean, we love leftovers....but this was insane, and it wasn't one of those things I wanted to freeze.  So, we enjoyed this meal many times throughout the week.

Asides from suggesting to cut the recipe AT LEAST in half, I would also recommend using ramekins/mugs instead of one big dish.  Even though you'll let the pot pie sit to thicken, it will still be too thin to cut and scoop out of a big pan.  Plus, it's much more fun to have your own pot pie, and everyone will have the same amount of puff pastry topping!

Seafood Pot Pie
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Alaska Seafood (Jerry Traunfeld)

• 5 cups milk
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 lbs Cod, or other similar white fish, cut in 3" pieces
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 can (2 ounces) anchovy fillets, drained 
• 2 large leeks (white and light green part only), cleaned and sliced
• 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced in wedges
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium-sized celery stalks, diced
• 1 piece frozen prepared puff pastry (8.5 ounces)
• Egg wash of 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp water

1. Bring the milk and salt to a simmer in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the Cod and cook on medium-low heat, below the simmer, until the fish flakes easily, about 7 minutes. While the fish is poaching, scrape the bottom of the pot from time to time with a rubber spatula to be sure it does not scorch. Drain the fish in a colander, saving the milk.
2. Wash and dry the pot. Put it over medium heat and add the butter. When it melts, add the anchovies and mash them with the back of a spoon until they dissolve. 
3. Stir in the leeks and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until the leeks are wilted and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to stir for a minute or two. Pour in the milk all at once and stir vigorously to dissolve the flour. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. 
5. Add the celery seed, celery salt, nutmeg, pepper, and celery , and cook, stirring very often, until the celery root is tender, about 12 minutes. 
6. Break the cod into large pieces and fold it in. Pour the filling into a large baking dish, at least 9" x 13" x 3", or divide between 8 ramekins or oven safe mugs. Leave at least 1" of space below the rim. If you have more filling than will fit, pour the remainder into a small dish/dishes and bake separately. Allow the filling to cool in the refrigerator.
7. Roll the pastry on a floured board into a rectangle about 1" larger than the dimensions of the top of the baking dish. Lay the pastry over the filling and press the 1" overhang into the sides of the dish. Brush with egg wash. Cut several slashes into the top of the pastry. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
8. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the pastry is nicely browned all over. Allow the pie to rest for 10 -15 minutes before serving.