Beverly writes: When I spotted the scallop shells at an estate sale, I immediately thought of my mother. She often baked her seafood casseroles in these pink-edged seashells when I was growing up, and the table-side presentation delighted everyone — guests and her own children alike.
Of course I couldn't resist purchasing the scallop shells, and Alicia and I started brainstorming seafood casserole recipes that would be quick and easy for desperate cooks, yet elegant enough for company meals. We ended up with a flexible version of the scrumptious crab casserole my mother used to make when I was a child.
Today's recipe for Individual Seafood Casseroles is indeed delicious with crab, but it can also be made using frozen shrimp from the supermarket. We've even baked the casserole using canned tuna for a wonderful twist on tuna casserole.
Scallop shells for baking often are available in kitchen equipment shops, but several types of containers can be substituted, including ceramic ramekins, the holes of muffin tins or a small baking pan. No matter how you bake it, this casserole will be a welcome addition to your "Desperation" recipe file.
Menu: Individual Seafood Casseroles
Broccoli spears
Mixed fruit salad
INDIVIDUAL SEAFOOD CASSEROLES
Start to finish: 20 minutes preparation, plus 18 to 25 minutes baking time
Cook's notes: Many brands offer "butter" flavored crackers. For testing purposes only, we used Ritz.
Other brands of seafood seasoning can be used instead of Old Bay, such as Zatarain's or Paul Prudhomme Seafood Seasoning.
Small frozen shrimp labeled "salad size" come fully peeled and cooked, and are less expensive and easier to defrost for this recipe. Bags of salad shrimp sometimes weigh only 7 ounces, and a range of 14 ounces to 1 pound of shrimp is fine for this recipe. To defrost salad shrimp, place them in the refrigerator overnight (if there is water in the bag afterward, drain and discard it) or pour the frozen shrimp in a colander, run slightly warm tap water over them, and drain well.
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion (for about 1/2 cup finely diced)
1/2 small green bell pepper (for about 1/2 cup finely diced)
38 to 40 (about 4 ounces) butter-flavored crackers, (for about 1- 1/2 cups crumbs), see Cook's notes
2 large eggs
1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay (see Cook's notes)
14 ounces to 1 pound already-cooked and peeled salad-size shrimp, defrosted if frozen and drained if necessary (see Cook's notes), or 2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna or crab
Cooking oil spray
Paprika to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
1. Begin melting the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat while you peel and finely dice the onion. Add the onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring from time to time, while you seed the bell pepper half and finely dice it. Add the bell pepper to the skillet, and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
2. Place the crackers in a zipper-top plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin, a sturdy drinking glass or your hands. (This also can be done in a food processor.) Set the crumbs aside.
3. Break the eggs into a medium-size mixing bowl, add the evaporated milk, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and seafood seasoning, and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the cracker crumbs, and the cooked onion and green pepper to the egg mixture. Also add any butter remaining in the skillet. If using shrimp, add half of it to the bowl. Place the other half of the shrimp on a cutting board and finely chop them. Add the chopped shrimp to the bowl. If using canned crab or tuna, drain it well, and add all of it to the bowl. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Spray the insides of 6 individual baking dishes (such as ramekins or scallop shells) lightly with cooking oil spray. Place about 1/2 cup of seafood filling in each dish or shell, spreading it evenly. (If using ramekins, the amount of filling may vary depending on their size. Fill each no more than 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops very lightly with paprika to taste. Bake, uncovered until the filling looks dry on top and is firm to the touch when lightly pressed, about 18 to 25 minutes. (Smaller baking dishes will be done faster. The casseroles will be only slightly golden on top.)
5. Alternative Cooking Methods: A muffin tin or an 8-by-8-inch metal or glass baking pan can also be used. Spritz the muffin tin holes with cooking oil spray, then fill all 12 holes with 1/4 cup of filling each, and serve 2 sections of filling per person. If using the 8-inch pan, spray it lightly with cooking oil spray, and spread the filling evenly. The baking pan will require 25 to 30 minutes baking time. Cut the casserole into squares to serve. Serves 6
Approximate Values Per Serving: 288 calories (49 percent from fat), 16 g fat (6 g saturated), 224 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 613 mg sodium
Beverly Mills is a former food editor of the Miami Herald food section and a mother of two; Alicia Ross, a former food columnist for The Raleigh News and Observer, also has two children. Send desperate tales of woe or everyday success stories and your favorite quick recipes to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. You can e-mail Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at bev-alicia@desperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.