Seafood au Gratin

As I’m writing this, it’s October and prime shrimp and crab season down here on the Gulf.   Seafood au Gratin is rich, creamy, and the perfect cool weather showcase for all that shrimp and crab.

Seafood au gratin has always been a specialty on the Gulf Coast.  It’s frequently found in upscale restaurants and in chafing dishes at fancy parties.  You can find it served in individual casserole dishes, on top of rice, or ladled over toast points or Holland Rusks.  I’ve also seen it served as a hot dip with toasted baguette slices or crackers.  All of these are delicious.

I first made Seafood au Gratin for a dinner party in Birmingham when I was in my early twenties.  Okay, that’s not entirely accurate.  I wanted to serve Seafood au Gratin at the dinner party, so I made it two or three times over the two weeks leading up to it, and again for the party.  Actually, it wasn’t that difficult and was pretty darn tasty.

That first recipe for Seafood au Gratin was pretty standard.  It started with a white roux and went from there.  No problem.  But then I learned an easier, faster, more delicious, and more indulgent, method. You’re going to love it.

This Seafood au Gratin recipe skips the roux.  Instead, you’ll simmer heavy cream, season it, poach the seafood in it, then add the cheese.  One quick trip under the broiler later, you’re in au gratin heaven!  

This recipe is highly customizable.  While I prefer this particular dish with crab and shrimp, you can switch out the seafood if you like.  All shrimp or all crab would be fine.  You can swap any or all of the shellfish for scallops.  Or oysters.  Chopped lobster would be lovely.  If you really, really insisted, you could use crawfish tails.  And honestly, the cops won’t show up if you use crab with a “k”.  

You can use any good melting cheese, and fresh breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs as you prefer.  You’ll start the au gratin in a deep saucepan, then transfer to some sort of oven-proof dish to broil it.  Feel free to use individual ramekins, a casserole dish, your cast iron skillet, or whatever vessel fits in your chafing dish.

Finally, serve it any way that works for you.  In addition to all of the serving variations listed at the beginning, I’ve also enjoyed Seafood au Gratin over fettuccine, and on top of crisp garlic Texas toast.  I even once featured it in a date-night cooking class.  We had it with filet mignon for an over-the-top surf and turf.  We also had roasted asparagus.

Your mouth is watering, isn’t it?

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Seafood au Gratin

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream--do not substitute, only heavy cream will work in this recipe
• 2 t. Creole seasoning, or more to taste
• ½-1 t. salt--note that different Creole seasonings have different amounts of salt, so start small
• 1 T. chopped fresh chives, or 1 scallion, green part only, sliced
• 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
• zest from one lemon
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsly chopped if large
• ½ lb. crabmeat
• 2 T. dry sherry
• 1½ cups grated cheese (Monterey jack, Swiss, havarti, gouda, provolone, gruyere, mozzarella, etc. . .)
• 2 T. melted butter
• ⅔ cup fresh breadcrumbs or buttery cracker crumbs

Instructions

• Bring the cream to a simmer in a deep saucepan over medium high heat. Don't use a shallow pan. The cream will climb the sides of the pan as it approaches the boiling point.
• Add the Creole seasoning, salt, parsley, chives, and lemon zest. Turn the heat to medium and let simmer, stirring frequently, until the cream has thickened a bit. Preheat the broiler.
• Add the shrimp and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully fold in the crab. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Add the sherry adnd the cheese. Stir in the cheese very gently until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour the mixture into the baking dish of your choice--ramekins, casserole dishes, etc.
• Toss the melted butter with with the crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the seafood mixture. Broil for several minutes until the crumbs are nicely browned. Serve hot.