shellfish pot pie

Make flaky pastry: Into a mixing bowl sift flour and salt. Add butter and shortening and blend with a pastry blender or fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add water, stirring with a fork until dough comes together. If too dry, add a little more water. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Chill at least 30 minutes, or may be prepared a day ahead.

Make filling: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat, add onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until onion is soft. Uncover, add clam juice, wine and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and stir in shrimp and scallops.

Return to simmering, stirring, then remove pan from heat. Drain shellfish mixture, reserving liquid and bouquet garni separately.

Measure poaching liquid and add enough milk to measure 3½ cups.

In a saucepan melt remaining butter, add flour and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add reserved poaching liquid and bouquet garni and heat to simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Discard bouquet garni. Stir in cream, cheese, parsley, mustard, nutmeg and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in shellfish mixture and crab meat and transfer to a large buttered baking or gratin dish.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly-floured work surface to 2 inches larger on all sides than baking dish. Drape crust loosely over filling, tuck edges into dish and crimp decoratively. Brush dough with egg wash. Cut several slits in top of pie. If you have extra dough, cut them into decorative fish shapes, arrange on top of pie and brush again with egg wash. Bake pie until top is dark golden brown and filling bubbles around edges, 35 to 40 minutes. If filling begins to bubble out of pan, place a baking sheet on oven rack below pie. Serve whole pie at table.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings TASTE SHOW #TS4686