Shrimp and Tomato Pie

JUST AS SOUTHERNERS OFTEN REFER TO ANY BAKED dish that contains eggs as a soufflé, so can they loosely use the word pie to describe both savory and sweet baked concoctions with a bread crumb or cornbread crust. Throughout the South, the affinity of shrimp and tomatoes manifests itself in all sorts of soups, stews, casseroles, salads, aspics, and sandwiches, but never does the marriage seem so well defined and perfect as in this pie, which is just as likely to show up on a bridge luncheon in Kentucky as on a deck buffet in coastal Florida. I’ve never seen this pie made with anything but firm, fresh shrimp; when I once tried to substitute crabmeat, the result was a mushy disaster. Needless to say, the ideal time to make the pie is summer, when juicy ripe tomatoes are at their peak. To add a little more depth, you might want to fold into the mixture a little fried, crumbled bacon along with the shrimp.

MAKES: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1⁄2 cups dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1⁄2 small green bell pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• 1 1⁄2 pounds medium fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the bread crumbs and the milk. Let them soak.
3. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
4. Add the minced onion, minced bell pepper, and chopped tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the mixture softens and the tomatoes release most of their juices, approximately 10 minutes.
5. Add the cooked mixture to the soaked bread crumbs in the bowl.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dry sherry, salt, black pepper, and Tabasco sauce to the bowl. Stir until well blended.
7. Fold the shrimp into the mixture in the bowl.
8. Scrape the mixture into a buttered 1 1⁄2- to 2-quart baking dish.
9. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs evenly over the top.
10. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the bread crumbs.
11. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, usually 35 to 40 minutes.