Crab, Shrimp and Scallop Guyere Casserole with Lobster Newburg Sauce

The inspiration for this dish came from a lunch with my dear friend Carla at Pikes Landing. I had a toasted sandwich of crab, scallops and shrimp. While eating this wonderful lunch I couldn't help but think of my mushroom strata and how well these flavors would marry. My silly mushroom strata dish calls for a final topping of cream of mushroom soup. How obscene would that be with scallops, crab and shrimp! No way would I even consider this putrid combination. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even consider the 1 lb. of swiss and thought Guyere would be better instead. In place of the "Cream of Mushroom Soup"...a Lobster Newburg sauce would be much better....Okay, so realistically, if I were to place this decadent dish on my menu and serve to others, we are looking at over $50 a plate....still interested?

Cooks beware. This is a bitch to put together.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb oyster mushrooms, broken apart and sliced
1 lb white mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, dioced
2 cups chopped red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
2 TBSP butter
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb. crab
1 1/2 lb. raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1 lb. scallops, raw and quartered
2 TBSP parsley
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Restaurant grade pepper
1 lb. swiss cheese, cubed
1 lb. Guyere cheesecubed

6 slices thick white bread
margarine or butter to spread

4 eggs
1 cup whole milk

Lobster Newburg Sauce: (See again this list below....)
1 1/2 lbs lobster tail meat
4 egg yolks
1 Cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Madeira
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
cayenne
nutmeg

To begin:
Slice the mushrooms, peppers and onions. Saute in butter until softened, remove from heat into a separate dish. Butter bread and cut into 1/2" cubes also set aside in a large bowl.

Melt 4 TBSP butter on low heat and add scallops and shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is almost pink. Add the cooked crab and set aside.

Divide the cheeses into three equally cubed portions.

In a deep dish baking pan, line the bottom with buttered bread. Top with some of the mushroom/pepper, a 1/3 of the seafood and top with 1/3 of the cubed cheese. Continue layering process.

Mix eggs and milk, pour over the top. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Bake covered with foil at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile make the Lobster Newburg Sauce.

Lobster tails should be premade before baking the casserole. Do this. On the underside of the lobster (the belly) cut up the side using a pair of kitchen shears. Do the same to the other side. cut the membrane near the tail to remove the belly casing. Next remoe the tail meat from the shell leaving it yet intact. Now lightly salt, squeeze lemon juice over the tail meat and place a slice of butter on the tail and wrap in foil. Bake tails for 15 minutes at 425. Remove tails and roughly chop and set aside.

Lobster Newburg:
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup madeira
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter melted
cayenne
nutmeg
1 1/2 lb. lobster meat, chunked

Melt the butter, mix the yolk/cream/madeira together and add to the butter. Stir constantly until thickened. Do NOT boil this....add cayenne and nutmeg to taste. Add lobster to heat through...we are not overcooking the lobster here! Pour over the casserole and serve immediately with a glass of chilled Chardonnay. If you really love the person that you made this for, clean up your dishes and follow up with some sliced fresh strawberries and champagne.