Seafood Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

This seafood pot pie recipe was inspired by my recipe for Seafood Chowder. I make this chowder often, using a variety of seafood, depending on what's fresh and available.

I love the flavours of this rich and hearty soup, so I decided to adapt this recipe to make it into a pot pie!

A pot pie has a thicker filling than a chowder, so I reduced the amount of broth and increased the number of potatoes. I also added a small amount of fennel because it complements seafood flavours so deliciously!

Before we get to the full recipe for seafood pot pie, here are a few notes about some of the ingredients and possible substitutions you can make. You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below.

• onion and celery: I like to chop these finely.
• gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour: to make a roux. Either type of flour will work.
• natural clam juice: I buy this in small 8 oz. glass jars. You can usually find them near the canned salmon or canned tuna in your supermarket.
• organic chicken or vegetable stock: low sodium
• potatoes: use 3 or 4 large or 5 medium. I like to use yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold in this recipe. The potatoes help to thicken the filling so it is less like a chowder.
• carrot and fennel: for flavour
• herbs: thyme, bay leaf and dill
• smoked paprika or regular paprika. The smoked paprika gives this fish pot pie filling a wonderful smoky flavour. Often pot pies will use bacon to get this flavour, but if you are cooking for pescatarians, bacon is not an option.
• seafood: Use a combination of seafood that is available where you live. Fresh or frozen! I use hot-smoked salmon (not lox), wild salmon, wild white fish like haddock, cod or sole, baby shrimp and large shrimp or prawns.
• flavouring: white wine, lemon juice, crushed red pepepr flakes
• cream or plant-based milk: if you have used enough potatoes, you may not even need the cream if you are trying to avoid dairy products. You can also substitute plant-based milk to get that creamy texture.
• puff pastry, regular or gluten-free. As I mentioned in this recipe for Spinach Artichoke Puff Pastry Cups, you can use either regular puff pastry made with wheat flour, or gluten-free puff pastry. More companies are now making gluten-free puff pastry, including Schar, GeeFree (in the US) and Jus-Rol (in the UK). I buy one that is locally made by Bake-My-Day. It's available in many retail outlets on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver.
• a small amount of beaten egg for brushing the pastry to get that beautiful golden brown crust.

🔪 Instructions

• In a large pot or stock pot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until soft and transparent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the flour, making a roux, then add the broth and the clam nectar, stirring until smooth. Add the potatoes, carrots, fennel, thyme, bay leaf and paprika. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.
• (At this point, you can allow the mixture to cool, then refrigerate until you're ready to proceed with the rest of the recipe. Gently reheat the filling.)
• Add the seafood, wine, lemon juice, crushed red pepper and dill. Stir gently and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
• Gently stir in the cream, being careful not to let to boil after this is added. Remove the bay leaf.

• Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins or small cocottes or pie dishes.
• Cut circles from a sheet of chilled puff pastry to fit the dishes. (*It's best to have these pre-cut and chilled in the fridge. See the Top Tips section.) You can either tuck the pastry in around the edges of the dishes or let it hang over the sides.
• Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
• Place the dishes on a baking sheet as the filling may bubble over in the oven.
• Bake small coquette dishes for 28 - 30 minutes, a pie for 35 - 40 minutes or until crust is puffed, golden and crisp.

Special Diets

Keep it gluten-free: use gluten-free flour to make the roux and top the pot pies with gluten-free puff pastry.

Keep it dairy-free: replace the butter with oil, and use plant-based milk instead of cream.

🍳Equipment

I baked these individual seafood pot pies in 12-oz cocottes and a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. This recipe filled 6 cocottes and one pie pan. If you are using metal or glass pans, the baking time will likely be a little less.

You could also bake these in individual mini cast iron pans for a more rustic, fun presentation.

👍🏼Top tips

Remember that seafood cooks very quickly. Overcooking seafood results in dry fish and rubbery shrimp. Add the seafood, heat it gently and remove the pot from the heat promptly once the shrimp or prawns have lost their translucence and are pink.

To prevent spills in your oven, place the baking dishes on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

When working with puff pastry, (or any pastry) it must be kept cool. Try to work as quickly as you can and handle it as little as you can. If you find it is sticky or becoming soft, put it in the fridge for a few minutes and try again.

Puff pastry must be chilled before baking! The fat in the pastry needs to be firm before placing it in a hot oven where it will turn to liquid, creating steam. This steam is what separates the layers and gives the flaky texture we love.

Cut out the circles you'll need ahead of time and refrigerate them on a baking sheet. Then, when you're ready to bake the pies, put the chilled puff pastry circles on top of the hot seafood.

⏰ Save time and make ahead!

One of the very best features of this fish pot pie recipe (besides how delicious it tastes) is the fact that you can prepare most of it ahead of time! Here's what you'll do.

• Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge overnight.
• Assemble all your ingredients and chop the veggies.
• Prepare the filling but stop before adding the seafood.
• At this point, you can refrigerate the filling. Peel and devein the shrimp, cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and return the seafood to the fridge.
• When you're ready to finish cooking the pot pies, preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the filling on the stovetop until it is very hot, then add the seafood, wine, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes and dill. It will only take about 10 minutes or less for the seafood to become fully cooked.
• Now all you have to do is transfer it to your baking dishes, top with puff pastry, brush the pastry with a small amount of beaten egg and bake!

Storage and reheating instructions

Be safe! Refrigerate leftover pot pie promptly. To reheat, cover the baking dish with foil and heat at 350°F. for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and heat for another 10 minutes or until heated through.

🥶 Can I freeze seafood pot pie?

For the very best results, I suggest preparing the filling and freezing it. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then heat it on the stovetop and transfer to baking dishes. Finally, add a chilled puff pastry lid and bake!

This recipe makes a satisfying meal so you really only need to serve with with a salad. My choices for a healthy salad to accompany this meal are:

• Blackberry Kiwi Salad with Oranges
• Kiwi Mandarin Spinach Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
• Kiwi Cucumber Salad with Walnuts and Fresh Mint
• Winter Persimmon Kale Salad
• Kale and Cara Cara Orange Salad