Seafood Potpie with Brandied Newburg Sauce

Mario Martinez
SEAFOOD POTPIE WITH BRANDIED NEWBURG SAUCE (Serves 6)

Ingredients

For the Seafood:
12 Large sea scallops, adhering muscle (aka foot) removed, but reserved
12 Large shell-on shrimp, peeled (reserve the shells) & de-veined
1 Lb. salmon fillet, boneless, skinless & cut into chunks
1 Lb. white fish fillet (cod, halibut, snapper, etc.), boneless, skinless & cut in chunks
1 Lb. rich fish fillet (mahi, marlin, tuna, etc.), boneless, skinless & cut into chunks

For the Brandied Newburg Sauce: (Makes 1½ quarts)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ Cup chopped shallots (or onions)

The reserved scallop trimmings & shrimp shells
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Turkish bay leaf
½ Bottle (375 ml. or 12½ oz.) Medium-dry Sherry (more for the filling)
¼ Lb. butter
½ Cup all-purpose flour
1 Qt. milk
½ tsp. Spanish paprika
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 Cups heavy cream
1 18-inch square of triple-thickness cheesecloth
½ tsp. Sriracha Vietnamese chili sauce
½ Cup brandy

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy, non-reactive pot set over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chopped shallots, the reserved scallop trimmings and shrimp shells, salt and the bay leaf and sauté 3-5 minutes or until the ingredients release their aromas. Deglaze the bot-tom of the pot with the sherry, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden paddle, and allow it to reduce until little of it is left; reduce heat to medium.
2. Add the butter and allow it to melt over medium heat, stirring with the wooden paddle. Add the flour and stir until a paste forms to make a shrimp shell roux. Continue to cook the roux over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flour is cooked and a faint aroma of baked bread is achieved. Add the milk in thirds, blending well with a wire whisk each time, add the paprika and the nutmeg and heat the mixture to a simmer, again stirring frequently as the sauce thickens.
3. Add the heavy cream and continue simmering (reduce heat as needed) for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, but do not allow the sauce to boil as it might separate and/or scorch. Strain through a colander lined with a triple thickness of cheesecloth. Gather up the cheesecloth with the shrimp shells in the center, then twist and squeeze it to get as much remaining sauce as possible. Whisk the remaining two tablespoons of the butter and the Sriracha chili sauce into the sauce. Heat the brandy in a sauté pan set over medium-low heat and allow it to catch flame. Burn off some of the brandy’s alcohol, and then whisk it into the sauce to finish.