When I was a little girl, my family would frequently visit my maternal grandparents, who lived in Freeport on New York’s Long Island. Freeport is a fishing town, and fresh seafood was on the menu almost every day. Grandma Daisie knew that seafood au gratin was my favorite dish of hers, so she made sure to serve it whenever we were there.
Serves 4. Prep and cook time: 1:30
Ingredients:
- ½ small onion, chopped
- ½ small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup butter, divided (no substitutes)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 4 ounces crabmeat, drained
- ½ pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- ¼ pound sea scallops, halved
- ¼ pound flounder fillets (or any white fish)
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay® seasoning
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sauté onion and pepper in ¼ cup butter until tender. Stir in ¼ cup flour and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in crabmeat. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a saucepan, cover shrimp, scallops, and fish with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Set the seafood aside.
Melt ¼ cup butter. Stir in ¼ cup flour. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk and reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick. Stir in cheddar, vinegar, Old Bay seasoning, and seafood.
Press crabmeat mixture into the bottom of a greased 13″ X 9″ X 2″ baking dish. Spoon seafood mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
