Seafood Lovers’ Dream: Gourmet Cassolette!

🍲 Seafood Lovers’ Dream: Gourmet Cassolette

A French-style creamy seafood casserole baked until bubbly and golden.

Serves

4

Time

• Prep: 25 minutes

• Bake: 20 minutes

🦐 Seafood Ingredients

Use fresh or good-quality frozen (thawed):

• ½ lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

• ½ lb sea scallops

• ½ lb white fish (cod, halibut, or haddock), cubed

• ½ lb mussels or clams, cleaned (optional but classic)

🧄 Sauce & Base Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup dry white wine

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ½ cup seafood stock (or chicken stock)

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp paprika

• Salt & black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

🧀 Topping

• ½ cup grated Gruyère or Parmesan

• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (panko preferred)

• 1 tbsp melted butter

🔥 Instructions

1. Preheat oven

• Preheat to 400°F (200°C).

• Lightly butter individual ramekins or one baking dish.

2. Sauté aromatics

• Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.

• Add shallot; cook 2–3 minutes until soft.

• Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.

3. Make the sauce

1. Sprinkle flour over aromatics; stir 1 minute.

2. Slowly whisk in wine; simmer 2–3 minutes.

3. Add stock, cream, Dijon, paprika, thyme.

4. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. Season to taste.

4. Add seafood

• Gently fold shrimp, scallops, fish, and mussels into sauce.

• Cook just 2–3 minutes (they’ll finish in the oven).

• Stir in parsley.

5. Assemble

• Spoon mixture into prepared dishes.

• Toss breadcrumbs with melted butter.

• Sprinkle breadcrumbs and cheese evenly on top.

6. Bake

• Bake uncovered 18–22 minutes, until bubbling and golden.

• Rest 5 minutes before serving.

🍞 Serve With

• Crusty baguette (mandatory 😄)

• Lemon wedges

• Crisp green salad or roasted asparagus

❓ Q & A

Q: Can I customize the seafood?

Absolutely.

• Lobster chunks = extra luxe

• Salmon works, but cut thick

• Skip shellfish if preferred

Q: Can I make it ahead?

Yes!

• Assemble (without topping)

• Refrigerate up to 12 hours

• Add topping and bake before serving

Q: What wine works best?

• Dry white: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay

• Avoid sweet wines

Q: How do I avoid rubbery seafood?

• Don’t overcook on the stovetop

• Bake just until bubbling

• Let residual heat finish the job

Q: Can I make it lighter?

Yes:

• Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream

• Reduce cheese by half

Q: Is this freezer-friendly?

Not ideal ❌
Cream sauces and seafood don’t reheat well after freezing.