Makes one deep-dish 10-inch pie, 6 to 8 slices

Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) salted butter
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup clam juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoon chopped dill
1/3 cup sherry
1/3 cup brandy
¾ pound lobster meat (if purchasing whole lobsters, about three 1-pound lobsters yield ½ pound of lobster meat)

Crust:
1 recipe Traditional Pastry Pie dough for a 10-inch double-crust pie
½ cup heavy cream (to glaze the top crust and crimped pie edges)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
To prepare the filling, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and sauté until tender. Take the skillet off the heat and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the remaining 10 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, slowly add the flour, whisking constantly until it begins to brown. Alternate adding the heavy cream and clam juice, beginning and ending with the clam juice and whisking continuously until the mixture begins to thicken.
Ultimately, you want a thick, creamy texture. If the mixture is still too thick and clumpy after all of the cream has been added, add more heavy cream or clam juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have achieved a smooth, creamy consistency.

Reduce the heat under the pot to low and stir in the tomato paste. Next, add the reserved sautéed celery, onion, and garlic. Stir in the dill, sherry, and brandy, and cook for approximately 10 more minutes. Finally, add the lobster meat, stirring it thoroughly throughout the mixture. Set the filling to the side while you prepare the crust.

To prepare the pie shell, divide the ball of dough in half, setting one half to the side. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 12-inch circle. Fold the circle in half, place it in a deep-dish 10-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Spread the lobster cream filling evenly across the bottom of the pie shell.

To prepare the top crust, roll out the second half of the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 12-inch circle. Fold the dough circle in half and place it over the filling, with the straight line of the half circle running down the middle of the pie.

Unfold the circle so that the entire pie is covered. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edges of the pie together to seal in the filling, and then use a fork to puncture the top of the pie 5 or 6 times. If you’re feeling creative, find a lobster cookie cutter and cut a lobster-shaped hole out of the pie top. Brush the top of the pie and crimped edges with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish.

To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until the crust turns a golden brown.

Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool and set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Cooked Lobster Pot Pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. An uncooked pie can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and store it in your freezer. For best results, thaw the pie in the refrigerator before baking as instructed.

Notes and Tips:
It offers all of the comfort of Chicken Pot Pie, but with a rich, elegant lobster twist. It’s hard to go wrong with chunks of lobster immersed in a creamy sauce and flaky pastry.

Lobster Pot Pie