Boston-Style Shrimp Pie

Ayuh, a family favorite, handed down for generations.

Now I'll tell ya, ev'ry family's got one dish that gets folks pullin' up chairs befoah the oven's even off. Ours is this shrimp pie. Sweet shrimp in a sherry cream sauce, wicked rich and smooth as a calm cove, with a golden buttah-cracker top that crackles when ya put the spoon in. It's the old Boston lobstah pie way, only we make it with shrimp, and it's been on the table at ev'ry holiday, Sunday suppah, and "come on ovah, I'm makin' the pie" phone call since befoah anyone can remembah.

The secret's the shell buttah. Ya toast them shrimp shells in buttah till it goes orange and smells like the dock at low tide, and that buttah goes right in the sauce. Wicked good. Don't ya skip it.

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 30 min | Total: 55 min | Serves: 4

Ingredients

Filling

• 1½ lb large shell-on shrimp (16–20 or 21–25 count)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp dry sherry, divided (real sherry, not salted "cooking sherry")
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups half-and-half
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and white pepper

Topping

• 1¼ cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve)
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp crushed plain potato chips (optional)
• ½ tsp paprika
• 4 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Step 1: Get the oven goin' and buttah the dish

Heat the oven to 400°F. Buttah an 8-inch square dish or a 1½-quart gratin dish good and generous, then set it aside.

Step 2: Peel and cut the shrimp

Peel and devein 'em, and save ev'ry last shell. Cut each shrimp into 2–3 chunks, about the size of lobstah pieces. Pat 'em dry and salt 'em lightly.

Step 3: Make the shell buttah

Melt 6 tbsp buttah in a skillet ovah medium heat. Toss in the shells and stir 4–5 minutes, till they go bright red and the buttah turns orange. Strain it through a fine sieve, pressin' hard, then chuck the shells.

Step 4: Sear the shrimp, bahely

Heat 2 tbsp of the shell buttah ovah medium-high. Cook the shrimp about 1 minute, pink outside and still raw in the middle. Splash in 2 tbsp sherry, let it bubble 30 seconds, then lift the shrimp into the dish. Keep them pan juices, they're gold.

Step 5: Build the cream sauce

Melt about 3 tbsp of the shell buttah in a saucepan ovah medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook it 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half and the pan juices, then simmah 3–4 minutes till it's thick.

Step 6: Yolks and sherry

Beat the yolks and whisk in ½ cup of the hot sauce. Pour 'em back in the pan and cook 1 minute on low, and don't ya let it boil. Off the heat, stir in 3 tbsp sherry, the paprika, cayenne, salt, and white peppah.

Step 7: Fill and top

Pour the sauce ovah the shrimp. Mix the crushed Ritz, Parmesan, potato chips, paprika, and melted buttah, then spread it so the filling's covered ovah completely.

Step 8: Bake till golden

Bake 10–12 minutes (8–10 for the little dishes) till it's bubblin' at the edges and golden on top. Let it rest 5 minutes. I know, I know. Do it anyway.

Tips from our kitchen

• Don't ovahcook the shrimp. They finish in the oven. Past step 4 they go rubbery as an old boot.
• Use real dry sherry. Not that salted cookin' stuff. It makes the sauce.
• Make it ahead. Fill the dish up to 2 hours early and chill. Put the topping on just befoah bakin' and give it a few extra minutes.
• Shortcut. Skip the cream sauce. Toss the seared shrimp with the leftovah shell buttah and 3 tbsp sherry, top it, and bake it the same.
• Serve with lemon wedges and a crisp green salad.

Make it for someone ya love, and tell 'em whose recipe it was.