This recipe was born out of William’s love of pies and a link of smoked sausage in our freezer. Why not combine the flavors of Cajun country into a gooey casserole and top them with a buttery pie crust? My sentiments, exactly.
The recipe relies on sausage, the trinity (onion, peppers, and celery) and a dash of Tobasco to anchor its Louisiana flavors. Shrimp stock provides a subtle seafood background, and whole shrimp (which I feared would overcook but didn’t) brought in a solid reminder of the Gulf. Just because I felt like being excessive, I used heavy cream. This is not a recipe for the cholesterol-fearing dieter.
But if you’re looking for a lively but comforting dinner to enjoy as a family or with guests, dig right in.
Cajun Pot Pie
1 recipe pastry dough (I used this galette dough)
Filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced smoked sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 small carrots, chopped
2 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/3 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined, reserving shells for shrimp stock
Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup concentrated shrimp or seafood stock (recipe follows)
3/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half, if you must)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of Tobasco
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
For filling: Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add sausage and render some of its fat, cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes more. Toss in potatoes, and cook until they barely begin to soften, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
For sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir roux constantly so it doesn’t burn. Pour in shrimp stock, whisking and breaking up any clumps of flour. As soon as the mixture thickens, pour in cream, and add tomato paste. Continuing to stir, bring mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in cayenne, Tobasco, and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the sauce from the stove, and combine with pot pie filling. Pour mixture into a deep, 9-inch pie pan. Allow this mixture to cool as much as possible. Stir in shrimp.
Roll out pastry dough into a 10-inch circle. Cover pie dish with pastry. Crimp the edges, and cut slits in the top of the pie. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden.
Remove from oven, and allow the pie to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4
The simple pleasure of making something beautiful from waste—that’s the essence of shrimp stock!
Concentrated Shrimp Stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 carrot, roughly chopped
1/2 small stalk celery, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped leeks or 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Shells from 2/3 to 1 pound shrimp (I store them in my freezer until I need them)
1/3 cup dry white wine
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add vegetables and herbs, cooking just a few minutes, until fragrant. Stir in shrimp shells (or fish bones if you have them), and cook until they are slightly golden and fragrant.
Pour in wine, and cook until most of it has evaporated. Add two cups of water or just a bit more to cover shells and vegetables. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Remove stock from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse out sauce pan.
Return stock to sauce pan, and reduce liquid to 1 cup.