La Tarte Amphytrite

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/4 lbs flaky pastry dough (600 g)
• 2 lbs mixed seafood, raw (1 kg)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons cognac (or use whisky, brandy or rum)
• 16 ounces fresh cream (2 large cups, 500 ml)
• 4 eggs, whole
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt (preferably a seasoned salt, to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, very finely chopped
• 8 large shrimp, largest size you can find (headless, unpeeled)

Recipe

• 1 line a square or rectangular, fairly shallow quiche or other ovenproof dish with the pastry. i find the well-known rectagular pyrex or marinex glass baking dishes perfect for this. a shallow tin will also do.
• 2 prick the base with a fork, and set oven at 400 deg f/200 deg celsius.
• 3 for the seafood, use a mixture of raw, ready-prepared scallops, peeled shirmps, lobster, fresh mussels, fresh clams, whatever you find. use good quality seafood.
• 4 cut up in bite-sized pieces and make sure there are no sand or bits of shell left. (the packets of mixed frozen seafood from shops, defrosted and drained, will do).
• 5 melt the butter in a pan, and when sizzling, add the seafood, and stir briefly. add the liquor. (at this stage you can flame it if you like). keep heat high and only par-cook them so they shed their liquid. season lightly with salt or seasoning salt.
• 6 remove with a slotted spoon so any liquid drips off and let cool.
• 7 beat the eggs and yolks into the cream, add the ketchup, garlic, a little more salt, the nutmeg and the pepper. stir in the parsley.
• 8 spread the shellfish over the pastry, the pour the cream mixture over the shellfish.
• 9 decorate with an unpeeled raw shrimp (prawn) on each portion.
• 10 bake for 25 - 35 minutes, until the pastry and filling are puffy and golden.
• 11 serve hot. divide the portions neatly, and lift each carefully from the dish.