4 oz fairly meaty, dense fish (like snapper, grouper trout or sea bass)
8 large shrimp, cleaned
4 sea scallops (dry)
flour (to dredge)
4 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 med yellow onion diced fine
1 lg carrot julienne (cut on a mandoline)
1 lg leek cut in half then chopped
1 pint white mushrooms quartered
fresh basil ( sliced thin)
2 oz brandy
½ cup tomato sauce
2 cup cream (or milk)
4 4 in square of puff pastry (or large enough to overlap your soup crocks by ½ in)
1 egg beaten with a little water for an eggwash
Season and dredge the seafood lightly in the flour and sauté in a large high walled pan in the hot oil. Add the garlic and when just browned, add the onions, the carrots, leeks and mushrooms. Then add the basil and then the brandy. When the brandy has mostly evaporated, add the tomato sauce and the cream. Bring to a quick boil and divide the stew into 4 20 oz soup crocks (or 2 larger or 1 even larger) The seafood mixture should come almost all the way to the top.
Roll out a square of puff pastry dough to about 1/16 to ¼ in and about ½ wider than your crocks. Place over the crocks and seal the edge all around. Trim the excess and dock the top of the dough with one ¼ in hole in the center or more smaller holes all around. Brush with egg wash and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serve directly in the crock on an underliner plate.