Holiday Seafood Casserole

By PineyCook

This wonderful recipe is from The Italian Dish Blog (http://theitaliandishblog.com). I make it as a special dinner for my Father when he visits and it never fails to impress. Highly recommend not only the recipe, but the website as well!

Ingredients

• SAUCE:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup leeks, chopped
• 1/2 cup fennel, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 cup Sherry (or Vermouth)
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
• 1 pound medium shrimp (or large shrimp, cut in half)
• 12 ounces firm white fish (I used halibut), cut into one inch pieces
• 10 ounces bay scallops (or sea scallops, cut in half)
• 1 (9 ounce) box of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter together. Add the leeks, fennel, salt and pepper and saute, over medium heat for about 5 or 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and saute one minute more. Transfer to a large bowl.

Make the sauce:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring with a whisk. Cook the flour for a couple of minutes and add the bouillon cube, whisking til it dissolves. Slowly add in the milk, whisking. Add the nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Whisk until sauce is creamy and thick. Add the Sherry. Turn off heat and add the cheese.

Add the sauce to the vegetables in the bowl and mix well together. Add the seafood and artichoke and mix gently. Pour into a baking dish (3-quart is a good size).

Mix the chopped parsley, bread crumbs and cheese together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 25 minutes. Broil the top for about one minute, until it is golden brown.