Description
Creamy, dreamy Gourmet Seafood Cassolette that tastes like restaurant dining but takes just 35 minutes to make! Perfect for date nights or impressing dinner guests.
Ingredients
For the Seafood Base:
- 1 lb mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, white fish like cod or halibut – whatever looks freshest)
- 2 tablespoons butter (real butter, not margarine – trust me on this)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (prevents burning while adding flavor)
- 1 small onion or shallot, finely diced (shallots are milder if you have them)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (fresh only – no powder here)
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream (the real stuff – don’t go light here)
- ¼ cup fish or chicken broth (fish broth is ideal but chicken works great)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated melts better than pre-shredded)
- Zest of ½ lemon (this is crucial – don’t skip it)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Golden Topping:
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (so much better than regular breadcrumbs)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or dill, chopped (parsley is more traditional)
- Lemon wedges for serving (fresh squeeze makes all the difference)
Instructions
Set your oven to 375°F and grease those ramekins with a little butter. Put them on a baking sheet right away – learned this the hard way when I tried carrying four hot ramekins at once. Position your oven rack in the middle for even browning.
Take your seafood out of the fridge about 15 minutes early so it’s not ice-cold when it hits the pan. Cold seafood steams instead of getting that nice sear that builds flavor. Pat everything completely dry with paper towels – this step is crucial for good results.
Heat butter and oil in your wide pan over medium heat. Don’t rush this – let them melt together slowly. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Your kitchen should start smelling incredible right about now.
Add minced garlic and cook just 30 seconds until fragrant – any longer and it gets bitter. Now add your seafood and cook just until it starts turning opaque, maybe 2 minutes max. Don’t fully cook it because it finishes in the oven. Overcooked seafood is rubbery and nobody wants that.
Remove the seafood to a plate but leave all those beautiful pan juices behind. That’s pure flavor sitting there waiting to become your sauce.
This is where the magic happens. Add your broth to the same pan and scrape up all those golden bits stuck to the bottom – that’s concentrated flavor right there. Let it simmer for a minute to reduce slightly.
Pour in the cream and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes until it coats the back of your spoon. Don’t let it boil hard or it might curdle. Gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese, letting each addition melt completely before adding more. The sauce should be silky and smooth.
Add that crucial lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Taste it – this is your chance to adjust before assembly. The sauce should be rich but bright, creamy but not heavy.
Gently fold the seafood back into that gorgeous cream sauce. Be gentle here – we want to keep everything intact and beautiful. The seafood should be evenly coated and swimming in just enough sauce.
Divide the mixture between your prepared ramekins, making sure everyone gets a good variety of seafood. Top each one evenly with panko breadcrumbs – I like to add a tiny extra sprinkle of Parmesan on top for extra golden color and flavor.
Slide that baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are gorgeously golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible – that’s how you know it’s ready.
Don’t overbake or the seafood gets tough. Look for that perfect golden color and active bubbling. Every oven is different, so trust your eyes and nose more than the timer.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs. The residual heat will release their oils and make everything smell amazing. Serve right away with those lemon wedges – that fresh squeeze of lemon right before eating makes every bite pop.
Notes
Always pat seafood completely dry before cooking – this is the difference between amateur and professional results. Water makes everything steam instead of getting that beautiful sear that builds flavor layers.
If your cream sauce gets too thick, whisk in a little more broth. Too thin? Let it bubble longer until it coats your spoon. The sauce should coat the seafood without being gluey or running off like water.
Fresh seafood is wonderful but don’t stress if you only have frozen. Just make sure it’s completely thawed and patted bone dry. Some of my best batches have used frozen shrimp from Costco.
Never skip the lemon zest – it’s not optional. Fresh zest is so much brighter and more aromatic than bottled lemon juice. One lemon gives you enough zest for multiple batches.
Temperature control matters. Medium heat prevents burning while building flavor. If things start browning too fast, turn it down. If nothing’s happening, turn it up a notch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop to Oven
- Cuisine: French-Inspired