Elegant Seafood Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
• 8 sheets phyllo pastry, halved crosswise
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 pkgs (340 g each) frozen raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
• 2 pkgs (340 g each) frozen scallops, thawed
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 cups light cream (10%)
• 8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, cubed
• 2 pkgs (10 oz/300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Lightly brush a 9X13 inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. To prepare bottom crust, brush top of one half sheet of phyllo with some of the melted butter and place, buttered side up, in dish. Repeat layering procedure with 7 more half sheets of phyllo and some of the melted butter, reserving half of melted butter for top crust.
3. Bake crust just until a light golden colour, about 5 minutes; cool completely.
4. To prepare filling, melt 1 tbsp butter in a large frypan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink about 3 - 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Add scallops to pan and cook, stirring frequently, just until scallops are opaque and cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Add scallops to shrimp.
5. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same frypan. Stir in flour, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in cream. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened. Stir in cream cheese and spinach. Cook, stirring, until cream cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat. Stir in shrimp and scallops; cool completely.
7. Spread filling evenly over baked phyllo crust. Top with remaining 8 half phyllo sheets, brushing each with some of the reserved melted butter. May be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
9. Bake until filling is heated through and phyllo is golden brown, about 45 - 50 minutes.