Shellfish Pot Pie with Flaky Biscuits

Instructions

Bring the white wine to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook until the mussels open. Remove the mussels from the pan as they open and place in a bowl. Discard shells. Repeat with the clams and add to the mussels. Add the shrimp to the pan and simmer covered, 2 minutes. Remove and add to the shellfish. Repeat with the scallops. Drain the shellfish and reserve the cooking liquid separately.

Blanch peas in boiling salted water 1 minute. Remove and cool. Blanch carrots 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool. Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat 3 minutes. Reserve.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan with 6 tablespoons flour. Stirring constantly, cook 2 minutes. Whisk in the fish stock, quick fish stock or bottled clam juice and reserved cooking liquid, and cook until it thickens, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add shellfish, peas, carrots, mushrooms and thyme and mix well. Place in a 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

For the biscuits, sift flour, 1 teaspoon salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Rub butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk until it holds together. Form into a mass and roll it quickly on a well floured surface. Fold it in half and roll again. Repeat, rolling it out to 1/2" thick. Using a 2" round cutter, cut 12 biscuits and fit them close together on top of stew. Bake the casserole 20 to 25 minutes until biscuits are golden and stew is bubbling. Serve the stew with 2 biscuits per person.