Shrimp Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, leeks and garlic. Sauté until softened but not browned—about 5-7 minutes. Add the red chili flakes, thyme sprigs and potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour in the wine. Continue simmering until the wine has reduced and nearly evaporated. While the wine cooks, sprinkle the cayenne pepper over the shrimp and toss until evenly coated. Set shrimp aside. Next, whisk the flour and seafood stock together in a bowl.

When the wine has evaporated, pour in the flour/stock mixture and stir while the liquids come to a soft boil. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the cream and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture has thickened to the desired consistency.

Pull the pot off the heat and remove the thyme sprigs. Stir in the shrimp, kosher salt and black pepper (or more of each to taste), frozen peas and fresh parsley.

Ladle the filling into a casserole dish or other types of individual ramekins/ovenproof dishes. I used four 5-ounce ramekins and one 5×5 casserole dish. Brush the outside edges of the dishes/ramekins with the beaten egg. Trim the puff pastry sheets about ½ inch larger than the tops of each of the dishes/ramekins. Cover each dish/ramekin with the puff pastry and press around the edges to seal.

Brush the tops of each of the pies with the beaten egg and use a sharp knife to make small slits on top. Place the pie/pies on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake the pie/pies for 30-40 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. Serve warm.